Dubai: Cyclone Chapala, which is more than 700km off the coast of Oman in the Indian Ocean, is highly unlikely to affect the weather in the UAE, said a forecaster from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS).
The forecaster told Gulf News that the cyclone has reached the “mature stage” and is likely to last some three days, adding that it is expected to enter the decay phase in the upcoming 24 hours.
The cyclone is classified as a second category cyclone (Severe Cyclonic Storm), he said, with the wind speed reaching 95 knots, according to the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre for tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean.
“It is very unlikely the UAE weather would be affected directly or indirectly, as the cyclone is far away and is moving further away in the North West direction. It is 727km off the Omani borders and 900km off the Omani-Yemeni border,” he said.
He added that cyclones are monitored every six or three hours to check on their progress.
The UAE’s NCMS has not issued any alerts on its website.
The weather in the UAE will continue to be hazy and partly cloudy over some areas on Saturday and Sunday, with a chance of some convective cloud over the mountainous areas during the afternoon.
Moderate to fresh winds could cause blowing dust. Conditions at sea will be moderate in general in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea.
The relative humidity will increase during the night and early morning over some coastal and internal areas, with a probability of fog especially towards the west.
