UAE task force monitors Cyclone Biparjoy as weather front nears

Category one cyclone heading for southern Oman and Horn of Africa

The coast at Qidfa, Fujairah. Meteorologists said the UAE was unlikely to be affected by the cyclone. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A UAE task force has said safety measures are in place to tackle possible "tropical conditions" in the country resulting from Cyclone Biparjoy.

The Joint Assessment Team – made up of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, better known as Ncema, the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) came together to review the weather situation, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday.

The NCM earlier said the UAE was unlikely to be affected by the cyclone, which is edging closer to the coast of Oman, over the next five days.

Authorities, however, are keen to be prepared for any potentially hazardous conditions.

“A tropical cyclone [category 1] is centred south of the Arabian Sea at latitude 13.1 north and longitude 66.4," the NCM said in a statement on Thursday.

"The wind speed around the centre ranges from 120 to 130kph with an existing formation of rainy convective clouds around the depression.

”The tropical cyclone Cat.1 is expected to continue with the same strength in the next 24 hours."

The centre said the cyclone was on a northerly path to the Arabian Sea.

Ncema "affirmed the readiness of the relevant authorities to deal with the tropical conditions and to take all proactive measures", Wam reported.

The Ministry of Interior said "the safety of society and the protection of lives and property are a top priority".

Members of the public were urged to exercise caution and follow official guidance.

People were asked to refrain from spreading rumours and to seek only official sources of relevant information.

Oman weather warning

Oman's weather bureau has urged the public to stay away from the sea from Friday as Cyclone Biparjoy edges closer to the coast.

The country's meteorology department issued an alert on Thursday calling on people to avoid marine activities for at least three days due to rough seas linked to the stormy conditions.

The weather centre said the cyclone was about 1,050km away from Oman, with an estimated wind speed from 118kph to 151kph.

Abdullah Al Khaduri, director general of Oman's General Directorate of Meteorology, said in a radio interview on Thursday that the country was experiencing cloudy weather brought about by the cyclone's activity.