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Image Credit: NCM

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the cyclone, predicted to hit the region in the next two days, is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds but will not affect the UAE.

“The UAE will not be affected directly by the cyclone,” a forecaster told Gulf News. “We are not seeing any effect of the cyclone here from today until Friday,” the forecaster added.

Due to tropical depression in the south east of Arabian Sea, the storm was expected to develop in the next 24 hours.

The predicted path of the cyclone does not touch the UAE though the country might witness heavy winds and clouds in the southern and eastern parts, the forecaster added.

Though no dramatic change is expected in the path of the cyclone, the NCM is observing it round the clock to see if there will be any change in its direction towards the UAE, according to weathermen.

Signal #02

On Tuesday, May 22, satellite images show the tragectory of the tropical cyclone, which is expected to make landfall in southern Yemen on Friday, May 25.  

At 5.30pm Dubai time on Tuesday, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) operated by the US military and based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, identified the tropical cyclone by the codename "02A".

The tropical cyclone forming on the Arabian Sea as of 5.30pm on Tuesday, May 22. Source: JTWC

The JTWC gave a warning signal #02, which suggests the tropical cyclone is likely to develop within 24 hours.

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characteried by a low-pressure centre, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain.

Don't spread rumours

As of now, there is no need for any concern regarding the storm and residents should refrain from spreading rumours, the officials cautioned.

Some reports on social media had warned the UAE residents of a storm hitting the country on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Based on that, some social media users called on the NCM “to educate people about it in case something serious happens in order to avoid what happened during Cyclone Gonu”.

The strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Arabian Peninsula, "Gonu" had devastated the coast of Oman and killed at least 12 in the sultanate and three in Iran in June 2007.

When another cyclone lashed again in May 2009, it left at least 35 killed in both those countries and also battered the east coast of the UAE.

However, UAE officials rebutted the social media reports and urged residents not to spread such rumours.

“If there is any need for taking any precautions, we will issue alerts regarding that,” said a senior meteorologist.

Wednesday, May 23, will witness fair to partly cloudy weather in general and hazy at times across the UAE, with a probability of convective clouds eastward by afternoon.

There will be light to moderate winds in general, blowing dust over some exposed areas.

The temperature will rise and the relative humidity will also increase by night and early morning on Thursday over some coastal areas.

Similar weather conditions are expected on Thursday as well. The relative humidity will increase by Thursday night and early morning of Friday over some coastal and internal areas, with a chance of fog or mist formation.

On Friday, the southeasterly wind will become northwesterly by afternoon. By evening, it may reach 35kmph at times and may cause kicking up of dust over the exposed areas.

The mercury was hovering in the mid-to-high-30s on Tuesday, with hottest temperature recorded at 44.3 degrees C, according to NCM.