Global Warming Alert: Powerful Tropical Cyclone will hit Oman and UAE

[JCMach1]

Oman mobilises 7,000 men to handle cyclonic storm's ravages

By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief


Muscat: Oman's civil defence has mobilised 7,000 personnel to handle any emergency situation in the aftermath of tropical cyclone Gonu making landfall on the eastern coast.

The category 5.5 cyclone Gonu is expected to hit the coast near Masirah Island by tomorrow night or early morning on Thursday. Masirah's population is estimated at 7,000.

"A contingency plan has been drawn up to meet any disaster," said Inspector General of Police and Customs Lt. General Malek Bin Sulaiman Al Ma'amari, who is also the Chairman of the National Committee for Civil Defence (NCCD).

"The topical storm has been named Gonu and it is at the moment 700km off Masirah Island," Ahmad Al Harthi, Director at the Department of Meteorology, told Gulf News yesterday on the sidelines of a meeting of the NCCD at the Royal Oman Police headquarters.

"The category for Gonu has been upgraded to 5.5 from 4.5," he said.

According to data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning, Gonu could whip up maximum sustained winds in the region of 185 km/h...

"We have had a similar storm hitting Masirah Island in 1977 when 400mm of rain fell in 24 hours," he recalled. The worst, he said, was in 1890 when a tropical storm claimed nearly 700 lives.

Al Harthi said the storm would continue to move north-west after hitting Oman and could reach a neighbouring country...

http://gulfnews.com/region/Oman/10129969.html



Talk about changing weather patterns... I thought I wouldn't have to put up with tropical weather when I left Florida... think again I suppose.

[aquart]

1. Where's Dubai? And all those low-lying artificial islands

stuffed with luxury housing?

[JCMach1]

3. There are mountains between Oman and UAE (the Hajar)

The threat in the UAE is HEAVY rain and the associated flooding from that... The emirate I live in has LITTLE drainage (it rarely rains so why bother).

But yes, would be a problems for artificial islands in the future. Also, Oman is building a similar tourist development near Muscat made of artificial islands. That would be much more at risk for storm surge.

[AlGore-08.com]

6. Northwest of where the typhoon will hit

Dubai is on the Persian Gulf, the typhoon will (probably) hit in the Gulf of Oman

[JCMach1]

8. The mountains will do a pretty big number on the storm...

should just be a lot of rain and a bit of wind by the time it arrives here.

[Rick Myers]

2. Mo' money for Halliburton!!! n/t

[whistle]

4. Looks like Oman, then Dubai then into the Arabian Gulf and

...from there collide with the two U.S. carrier fleets in the Persian Gulf Bush's folly could cost American tax payers over a trillion dollars in our capital naval fleet not to mention the thousands of American lives at stake. Will shrub* blame God?

[uppityperson]

5. oh shit, check out the pictures and writing in this blog

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=690&tstamp=200706

This is the eastern coast of Oman, where communities line the shoreline which is shortly going to be experiencing a major hurricane. We can only hope that the danger is understood and that all of these communities have evacuated to higher ground and a safer location.

Below are two images of the city of Sur, showing how the community is built right along the water's edge:

[JCMach1]

7. Sultan Qaboos' palace is practically IN the water in Muscat

ANY storm surge and the ruler is underwater... makes you wish the WH had been in N'Orleans...

Here is an old pic, but you get the idea

[aquart]

14. Pretty. But anyone else think those columns look like golf tees?

[JCMach1]

9. Latest map from Weather Underground

[aquart]

15. So 2 am it hits as a Cat 2?

[greenman3610]

10. what scale is this? I thought cat 5 was the highest?

[JCMach1]

11. Good question.... the Weatherunderground map I think

addresses some of this...

[JCMach1]

12. Wind is already building today w/ clouds at the present

in Sharjah, UAE

[JCMach1]

13. Hmmmm... now forecast to miss

Have I ever pointed out that the weathermen here are idiots... We will know in 24hr obviously...

[aquart]

16. Plan as if it's forecast to hit. Storms do funny funny things.