Tropical storm heads towards Arabian Peninsula

Forecasters monitor a powerful storm that's approaching the Omani coast near Salalah

An image of the approaching storm from the UAE weather centre

Forecasters in the UAE and Oman are monitoring a tropical storm that's heading in the direction of the Arabian Peninsula.

According to meteorologists, the storm could make landfall close to the southern Omani city of Salalah as early as Friday accompanied by strong winds and lashing rain.

There is a high risk of rain in the area on the Omani/Yemeni border from Thursday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the tropical storm had a surface wind speed of up to 74kph and was about 900 kilometres from the southern Omani city, forecasters said.

It could develop into a cyclone by Thursday with speeds of 129kph.

Both the National Centre of Meteorology here in the UAE and Omani authorities are monitoring the storm.

It's not expected to directly impact the UAE but could lead to strong winds and increasing cloud cover.

Oman also urged people in the country to watch weather bulletins and be on guard for flash floods.

Earlier this month, Cyclone Sagar brought heavy rain to southern Yemen and the broader Horn of Africa. At least 15 people died and tens of thousands were displaced.

_______________

Cyclone Sagar brings heavy rain and strong winds to southern Yemen