A. SREENVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is unlikely to be affected by the storm that has hit the Arabian Sea, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said.
The NCEMA held a meeting with the Joint Assessment Team to discuss and monitor developments of the current weather conditions in the Arabian Sea.
“The initial data and readings indicate that the expected impact of the storm on the country will be indirect,” the NCEMA said after the meeting.
However, it anticipated rough seas in Sea of Oman and Arabian Gulf and said some seawater could reach certain coastal areas.
There are not “any signs that [storm] might affect other areas of the country,” the NCEMA said.
The NCEMA said it intensified the monitoring of the movement and direction of the storm and will issue plans for business continuity if necessary.
“Safety guidelines will be issued to the public through the country’s official channels and sources,” NCEMA said, asking the public not to propagate and trust rumours. It asked them to rely on official channels for weather updates.
Meanwhile, large parts of India and Pakistan are hit by heavy rains as cyclone storms have hit both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Indian peninsula is sandwiched between two vast seas that are currently under the spell of storms. Weather experts say an August cyclonic depression in the Arabian Sea is very rare and has been witnessed only thrice since 1891, in 1944, 1964 and 1976.
Oman authorities, too, predicted rains in parts of the country and warned residents about the increase in wadi flows.