Cyclone Maha continues to gather strength over Arabian Sea

Parts of UAE and Oman brace for stormy weather on Monday with cyclone expected to reach speeds of 160kph

Kalba in Sharjah's east coast suffered flooding as Cyclone Kyarr wreaked havoc in the Emirtas last week and now the country is preparing for more extreme weather. Ruba Haza / The National

A tropical cyclone hurtling across the Arabian Gulf is expected to hit wind speeds of up to 160 kilometres an hour in the coming days, UAE meteorologists said.

The east coasts of the Emirates and Oman are braced for rough seas, heavy rain and the threat of floods on Monday as Cyclone Maha continues to gather strength.

The National Centre for Meteorology said it was closely monitoring the situation.

The NCM said the cyclone is moving north-westwards.

Maha, which is now categorised as a severe cyclonic storm, has intensified since its formation in the north-west of the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.

It is expected to become a category 3 cyclone by Monday before curving back to India. Heavy rainfall is predicted in Gujarat.

The east coasts of the UAE and Oman were hit by storm surges from Cyclone Kyarr last week.

It was the Arabian Sea’s strongest cyclone in a decade, with winds of 241kph, just under category 5 status.

A hotel staff member in Fujairah drowned on duty when he was swept out to sea.

Schools on the east coast closed after storm surges and streets and houses were flooded knee-deep as residents were forced to leave their homes because of power cuts.