UAE authorities, on Saturday, warned residents and visitors to avoid beaches, valleys, dams, mountainous and low-lying regions as tropical cyclone Shaheen could affect weather conditions in the country.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the tropical cyclone Shaheen is currently centered in the northwest of the Arabian Sea at latitude 24.3 Norh and longitude 60.9 East, and is forming form different types of clouds accompanied with rainy convective clouds of different intensity and strong winds on the Arabian Sea with a speed around the center from 116 to 150 km per hour.

A spokesperson with the NCM said during a virtual press briefing on October 2 that the centre of the cyclone is 440 km away from the coast of Fujairah. “The speed of the cyclone’s movement is 11 km / hr in the direction of west – northwest,” the official said.

According to NCM’s forecasts, the movement of Tropical Cyclone Shaheen will continue towards the coasts of the Oman during the next 24 hours, and that by Sunday afternoon and evening October 3, some regions of the country will be affected by the extension of the tropical situation.

“This would especially be prevalent in the Eastern regions, which include Al Ain and the southern regions and extending towards some central regions, where convective clouds will increase, associated with rains of different intensity that lead to the flash flooding in the valleys and torrents and water will accumulate over some low areas,” the official explained.

“As a proactive measure, and for the safety of community members, procedures and measures have been announced following the passage of the cyclone in affected areas,” the spokesperson said. Residents must avoid going to the beaches and into the sea during this period.

“Avoid valleys, low-lying areas, and places experiencing torrential flow,” he added. “The rain will lead to torrential flow in valleys, and it is expected that water could collect in some low-lying areas. The winds are active to strong, and they raise dust resulting in reduced horizontal visibility, especially with cumulus clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder sometimes,” the spokesperson said.

Residents were urged to follow news and information broadcasted on official social media channels. “We call on all members of society to follow information broadcast by the National Centre of Meteorology on all its official electronic platforms and not be drawn into any rumours that are being circulated about weather conditions,” he added.

The official also said the UAE is well prepared to deal with the possible effects of the cyclone. “The technical team of NCM is working around the clock to analyse available data and make carefully researched forecasts, which NCM would share with relevant authorities. All necessary precautions and coordination efforts are underway to deal with the ongoing weather situation,” he added.

Dhanusha Gokulan

Originally from India, Dhanusha Gokulan has been working as a journalist for over ten years. For Khaleej Times, she covers NRI affairs, civil aviation, and immigration issues among other things. She completed her BA in Journalism, Economics and English Literature from Mangalore University in 2008 and is currently pursuing her MA in Leadership and Innovation in Contemporary Media at the American University in Dubai. In her spare time, she dabbles with some singing/songwriting, loves food, and is mom to an over-enthusiastic Labrador retriever. Tweet at her @shootsprintrite.