Dubai: The national weather bureau is monitoring the development of a tropical depression southeast of Oman that is moving in a north-northwest direction toward mainland Oman and may, if it doesn’t change course or dissipate, hit the UAE.
“Latest satellite imagery and observations indicate that a depression has formed about 1,230km southeast of Masirah Island in Oman. It will move north-northwest and intensify further into a deep depression during the next 24 hours,” a weather alert from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) read.
“NCMS will keep watching the development of this depression, and will update news on this at the right time.”
A tropical depression is formed when a low pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce winds moving in a circular direction with maximum sustained strength below 39mph [62.76km/h]. It is a tropical cyclone weaker than a typhoon.
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The depression was still offshore of Oman as of 5pm Sunday, which is too early to forecast if it will enter the UAE.
Meanwhile, Monday’s weather is expected to be hazy to partly cloudy, with blowing dust in the southern areas of Abu Dhabi and in the eastern part of the country.
Light to moderate winds packed with dust may reduce visibility in the southern part of Abu Dhabi while the temperatures will range between 39 and 47 degrees Celsius in the country.
Clouds associated with rain may also develop over the mountains.
Meanwhile, a report from Muscat said the depression will develop into a deep depression in the coming two days. Oman’s Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) said the depression will move north to northwest of the Arabian Sea in the coming two days.
Strong wind speeds around the depression were reaching 25-30km/h. Khalid Al Jahawari, an expert at the Meteorology Department, said that there will be no influence of the depression in the coming two days. The depression will become weak if it approaches the Omani coast, he said, adding that such depressions normally occur in June and July.
The low pressure system will be named Ashooba if it develops into a cyclone.
Two major cyclones hit Oman in the past eight years — Cyclone Gonu in June 2007 and Phet in June 2010.
- With additional inputs from Fahad Al Mukreshi, Correspondent
