UAE: Tropical Cyclone Kyarr approaches the Arab Peninsula October 29-30

Event

As of Tuesday, October 29, Tropical Cyclone Kyarr is located in the Arabian Sea, about 980 km (606 mi) to Mumbai's west, 1020 km (633 mi) northeast of Salalah and 510 km (316 mi) southeast of Masirah in Oman. Kyarr is moving west-northwest, with wind speeds of 220 kph (136 mph), and has deepened into a Category 4 Tropical Storm. The Tropical Storm (map here) is expected to continue moving towards the Arab Peninsula, hitting either Oman or Yemen over the coming days.

Associated storms are also expected in the eastern cost of the United Arab Emirates. Residents over the eastern coast have been advised to take caution and pay attention to weather alerts issued by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) as rough seas and storm surges are expected in some areas from Monday, October 28, to Wednesday, October 30.

As of Tuesday, Oman's Directorate General of Meteorology did not issue any rainfall alert for the coming days. However, it has warned that waves of 2-3 meters (6-9 ft) are likely along the Oman Sea and Musandam coasts, adding that visibility could be poor because of fog. On the evening (local time) of Monday, many coastal areas of Oman reportedly witnessed high waves and seawater entering houses.

Associated power outages and disruptions to transportation and business services are possible in areas forecast to be affected by the system over the coming days.

Context

The Pakistan Meteorological Office (PMD) has issued a weather alert for lower Sindh and along the Makran coast (Baluchistan province) from October 28, through October 30. The alert was triggered as the cyclonic storm Kyarr, which is not expected to directly impact Pakistan, has rapidly intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) over the east central Arabian sea. In Karachi, more than 800 people have been evacuated on October 28.

Advice

Individuals in areas forecast to be affected by the storm are advised to monitor local weather reports, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, anticipate adverse weather and power and transportation disruptions, and remember that running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) is enough to knock over an adult - and never drive through flooded streets; floodwater may also contain wastewater and chemical products.