Muscat: The tropical cyclone Shaheen continues to move towards the coasts of North Al Batinah Governorate, with direct effects of the cyclone starting to be observable from Sunday morning, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

“The latest satellite images and weather charts analysis at the National Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre indicates that Tropical Cyclone Shaheen is currently centered at a latitude of 24.5 degrees N and longitude 60.7 degrees E. The tropical cyclone continues to move towards the coasts of the Sultanate overlooking the Sea of Oman,” CAA said.

The center of the tropical cyclone is about 200 km from the Governorate of Muscat, while the nearest cumulonimbus clouds are 80 km away, and the wind speed around the center is estimated to be around 64 knots (116 km/hour).

Indirect effects of the cyclone were observed on Saturday along the coasts of the Governorates of South Al Sharqiyah and Muscat, with waves rising up to 3-5 meters with the flow of clouds accompanied by rain of varying intensity. The monitoring stations recorded wind speeds between 10 and 20 knots.

The tropical cyclone is likely to continue its movement towards the coasts of North Al Batinah Governorate, with direct effects starting tomorrow morning, and it will be accompanied by high speed winds (40 to 60 knots) and very heavy thunderstorms (200 to 500 mm rainfall) leading to flooding of the valleys of the Governorates North Al Batinah and South Al Batinah, Muscat, Al Dhahirah, Al Buraimi, Al Dakhiliyah, and the coastal areas of South Al Sharqiyah Governorate.

Musandam and North Al Sharqiyah governorates may be affected by rains of varying intensity (30 to 80 mm) and moderate to active winds (15-25 knots).

The sea will be very rough on the coasts of the Sultanate, extending from South Al Sharqiyah Governorate to Musandam Governorate, and the wave height is estimated at 8-12 meters, with the possibility of sea water extending to land in low areas. The waves will be moderate to rough on the rest of the coasts of the Sultanate (2-3 metres).

The Civil Aviation Authority called upon everyone to take the utmost care and caution, not to risk crossing valleys, and to stay away from low-lying places.