Cyclone Chapala: 33-feet waves; wind at 170kmph; Oman, Yemen on alert
Cyclone Chapala may have no direct impact on UAE: NCMS
Latest satellite imagery of Chapala from UAE's National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS).
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Oman is also bearing the brunt of the storm with waves reaching 23 feet high, while rainfall is expected to exceed 20mm in the governorate of Dhofar.
In a series of tweets on its official Twitter account, the Oman met office stated: “The sea state over Socotra Island is very rough with maximum wave height of 10m (33 feet).
“The weather forecast over the Republic of Yemen for Socotra Island is heavy thunder showers, which may exceed 500mm with very strong wind up to 170 kmph.”
It continued: “Al Mahra governorate of Oman could see potentially heavy rain in the evening (Sunday), with rainfall exceeding 70mm and wind speed reaching 70kmph.”
The Hadramaut governorate could see maximum wave height of seven metres or 23 feet.
Residents stock up emergency ration
Residents of Salalah are reporting public beaches are closed, while several have stocked up on emergency food and water supplies as rainfall and thunderstorms commence in the area in wake of Cyclone Chapala.
Salalah resident Abdul Manaf NM told ‘Emirates 24|7’: “People were nervous on hearing the news that this cyclone will pour eight years’ rain in 48 hours.
“Public areas were not that much affected till yesterday. But today (Sunday) people are more likely to be inside their rooms and traffic is also less on the roads.”
Manaf said the wind picked up speed by afternoon, while Civil Defence authorities were patrolling the roads and warning people to avoid coastal areas.
Twitter user Suhail Rasheed also reported around noon that it has begun to rain in Salalah.
According to Oman Met, the centre of the cyclone is about 430km from Dhofar coast and 200km from Socotra Island.
EARLIER REPORT
Thunderstorms over Yemen's Socotra Island
At 10am UAE time on Sunday, the Oman Meteorology department stated Cyclone Chapala had tracked westwards, adding that the centre of the storm now lay approximately 430km from the Dhofar coastline and 200km from Yemen’s Socotra Island.
Salalah has already felt the impact of the storm, with Oman Met confirming heavy rainfall has commenced in the area, approximately 9am UAE time, measuring 5.8mm.
Evacuations begin
The Oman Met office has asked residents to follow regular updates across its social media platform, tweeting details in Arabic, English, Hindi and French languages.
Omani and Yemini governments have issued warnings and urged residents to evacuate coastal areas as the severe cyclone ‘Chapala’ approaches shores, reported local media.
Omani Royal Air force helped evacuate residents of Al Halanyat as well as people in Saadha Hospital to safer grounds.
In Yemen, President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi, has briefed the emergency operations to be ready at all times.
Yemen’s civil aviation urged residents of Hadramawt, Shabwa, Al Mahra and Socotra areas to evacuate at the earliest.
30-foot waves expected
The November 1 weather update by Oman’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning Centre analysis reveals that the Tropical Cyclone Chapala over the south-western Arabian Sea is currently centered about 450km away from the coastal areas of the governate of Dhofar. The centre further states: “The surface wind speed around the centre has decreased to 85-95 knots (153 to 171 km/hour).
Latest weather charts indicate that Chapala is likely to track westwards, with the centre of Chapala expected to cross the coastal areas of Yemen in the next 48 hours.
The centre further warns: “Isolated moderate to heavy rain, occasional thundershowers associated with fresh winds, are expected to affect Dhofar governate on Sunday.
“Torrential rain with fresh to strong winds over the governate and rough to very rough seas condition with wave height reaching five to seven metres are expected on Monday and Tuesday.”
Maximum wave height is expected to reach 30 feet.
The Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) in Oman is advising the public to take necessary precaution and stay away from low lying areas avoid crossing wadis. Fishermen and sea goers should also avoid venturing into the sea and follow latest updates issued by authorities.
Schools closed
The Yemeni legitimate government announced the suspension of classes in four coastal governorates because of the Hurricane.
The Command of Special Central Operations Room urged the local authorities about the Hurricane in the governorates of Hadramout, Socotra, Al Mahra, and Shabwa, to suspend the classes from Sunday until further notice.
UAE impact
Cyclone Chapala, a storm gathering in the centre of the Arabian Sea, may have no direct impact on the UAE, according to the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS).
''Chapala may generate clouds in the south of the UAE as a result of a strong high pressure system on land and upper atmosphere extending from north-east Iran and Pakistan and east Caspian Sea.
“Accordingly, this will make it difficult for the tropical system to head towards the UAE,” the NCMS said in a statement.
Satellite images, weather numerical models and forecasts, the NCMS added, show that the tropical storm was moving towards southern coasts of Oman and Yemen and might reach the Gulf of Aden on November 2.
Cyclone threatens floods, damage in Yemen, Oman
Cyclone Chapala, a storm gathering in the Arabian Sea, is heading for Yemen and Oman and may cause floods, landslides and infrastructure damage in countries that are ill-prepared for such weather, Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) was quoted by Reuters as saying on Friday.
The UN climate agency said the tropical cyclone has strengthened very quickly in the past one day and is expected to become a super-cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, with sustained winds of up to 230kmph (143 mph), equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.
It is expected to hit the coast on Monday night.
"We do expect it will weaken before it makes landfall. It will probably be more on the lines of Category 1, but even so there will be very high gale force winds in an area that is just not used to seeing this," said Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
"The winds are a threat but we expect the biggest impact will be from the very, very, very serious rainfall. I’ve seen some reports that the area might get the equivalent of more than a year’s worth of rainfall in a couple of days."
Nullis said the WMO was not aware of a tropical cyclone ever hitting Yemen before, although a cyclone that hit Oman in 2007 had done several billion dollars’ worth of damage and killed about 50 people.
The area of northern Yemen that is in the storm’s path is sparsely populated, but the Omani port city of Salalah is likely to be heavily affected, she said.
Salalah is Oman’s second largest city, with a population of about 200,000, and has a major container port managed by APM Terminals, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk
The winds are expected to slow to 150-160 kmph just before the storm makes landfall, and then slow further to 100-110 kmph.
The storm was caused by high sea temperatures and atmospheric conditions, but it was not clear if it was also caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon or by global warming, and if such storms might recur in future, she said.
"With climate change we’re really heading into unknown territory. We can expect to see things happening in the future that never happened in the past."
Earlier reports:
Oman is preparing to face Cyclone Chapala, which currently lies 850 km off the coast off Dhofar.
Warnings have been issued of possible flash floods, in wake of thunderstorms and torrential rain, even as a marine alert cautions of wave heights reaching 22 feet.
Storm hit Kuwait Towers (AFP)Residents are being told to move away from the coastline, with the cyclone's trajectory following a destructive path that, current estimates predict, will see it veer towards neighbouring Yemen's coastline.
In its Friday update, the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) in Oman stated: "The Multi-Hazard Warning Centre analysis reveals that the Tropical Storm over the central Arabian Sea has intensified into a Tropical Cyclone on Friday.
"The surface wind speed around the centre reaches 65 knots or 135kms per hour and centered 850kms from coastal area governorate of Dhofar."
The forecast further states the cyclone will track northwest towards Yemen, adding: "Heavy rain, thunderstorms, leading to flash floods over Al Wusta and Dhofar are expected starting Saturday evening."
The PACDA has also warned the Northeasterly winds, travelling from popular tourist destination of Ras Al Hadd - which houses the region's turtle reserve - until Dhofar will witness wave heights of 16 feet to 22 feet.
Possible rain in UAE, Oman
As Cyclone Chapala approaches the Oman coastline, residents are being warned of rough seas and fresh winds in the UAE over the weekend, with a chance of rainfall in parts of the country.
While the trajectory of the cyclone sees the weather system steer clear of the UAE, Oman remains on alert, while warning residents to avoid the coastline and wadis in lieu of possible flooding.
Residents of the UAE planning on taking advantage of the cooler climes to organise a road trip to the neighbouring country should heed to warnings issued by the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) in Oman.
As per the last update, Cyclone Chapala remains 850kms from Oman's Masirah Island.
The UAE has been experiencing heavy rainfall and waterlogging in parts of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, with showers also recorded in Al Dhaid on Wednesday.
The country's National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has further stated that Friday will see the chance of some convective clouds over the eastern mountains by afternoon, with fresh winds that could result in blowing dust over some areas and low visibility.
With Cyclone Chapala expected to gain momentum in the coming 48 hours to possibly turn into a very severe cyclonic storm according to forecasters, the NCMS has stated the waters of Arabian Gulf would be rough, along with the Oman Sea.
Temperatures, meanwhile, having been cooling off, with the mountains seeing the Mercury reach averages of 15 degrees Celsius, while the mean will hover in the mid-thirties around the coastal and internal areas.
On Saturday, the weather is expected to follow the same pattern as Friday, with a marine alert remaining in place.
The NCMS has also forecasted the relative humidity will increase during late night and early morning over some coastal and internal areas, especially towards west, which may give rise to mist or fog on Sunday.
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