Latest:
- Rescuers in Yemen recover two bodies from the island of Socotra
- Yemeni officials said at least 40 people were missing on Socotra
- At least three people have died in Oman
- Flash floods washed away thousands of animals and cut electricity and communication lines on the island of Socotra
Thunderstorms, fresh winds and dusty conditions expected in the eastern and southern parts of the UAE
_______________
19:00 - UAE aid plane lands on Socotra
A plane loaded with 40 tonnes of humanitarian supplies and food aid from the UAE landed on Socotra earlier today, the Wam news agency reported.
_______________
17:20 - Mekunu claims a third life in Oman
Tropical storm Mekenu claimed a third fatality in Oman after an Indian national died in a flooded valley
_______________
16:06 - Salalah airport to re-open to air traffic
According to a statement released by the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, Salalah airport will re-open to air traffic on Sunday morning (May 27):
"Due to the drop in the impact of Tropical System, allowing air traffic to resume its operations in accordance with the safety requirements, and in coordination with the operators, the PACA announces the reopening of the Salalah airport to air traffic starting from twelve o’clock Sunday morning, 27 May 2018.
"The International air traffic lines in the Omani airspace, which have been affected by the Tropical Cyclone, are now back to its activity smoothly.”
_______________
15:49 - Two dead in Yemen
Yemeni security officials say rescuers have recovered two bodies from the island of Socotra
Yemeni officials said earlier that around 40 people, including Yemeni, Indian and Sudanese nationals, were missing after the storm barreled through
_______________
13:20 - Cyclone downgraded to deep depression
Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation says the intensity of Cyclone Mekunu has dropped to a deep depression:
_______________
12:45 - Powerful storm leaves many without power
Parts of Salalah, the third largest city in Oman, were left without power on Saturday, as the powerful storm passed through the country.
Electrical workers are responding to restore power in the city.
Meanwhile, state television is reporting that a man was washed away in his car as he attempted to cross a flooded area.
_______________
11:15 - Three-day holiday declared in Dhofar
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has declared three days of leave for employees in the governorate of Dhofar, where Salalah has been hit by the cyclone.
_______________
10:46 - In the eye of the storm
Social media users have braved the intense conditions to capture the powerful storm:
_______________
10:00 - Follow the latest on Cyclone Mekunu with The National
The National team will be tracking all the latest from Yemen and Oman, as Cyclone Mekunu makes landfall. Follow our rolling coverage as it happens.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading extensive relief operations to assist thousands in the disaster-hit island of Socotra, Yemen, following the damage caused by Cyclone Mekunu. More on those efforts here.
Indian aid vessels are en route to Oman and are on standby to help relief efforts.
Meteorologists have warned that the cyclone was gaining strength and would be "extremely severe".
The Indian Meteorological Department reported winds of 160-170 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 180kph in the Arabian Sea.
-
A man covers his head under heavy rain. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
A member of staff removes the rain water covered a corridor at a hotel in Salalah, Oman. Cyclone Mekunu will be "extremely severe" when it crashes into the Arabian Peninsula. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
Staff members removes the rain water covered a corridor at a hotel in Salalah, Oman. Cyclone Mekunu will be "extremely severe" when it crashes into the Arabian Peninsula. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
A golf buggie passes the trees at a hotel in Salalah, Oman. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
Strong waves smashed into empty tourist beaches. Many holidaymakers fled the storm on Thursday night before Salalah International Airport closed. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
A car makes its way through standing water on a road in Salalah, Oman. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
A man covers his head under the rain. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Saturday. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
A worker carries bottles of water in a school turned into a shelter in Salalah. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
Workers prepare to stay in a school turned into a shelter. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
Workers rest ahead of Cyclone Mekuna's arrival on the mainland Arabian Peninsula. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
An Omani man walks down the street. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
An Omani official gestures to a loader driver to tear away a road divider. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo -
Cars drive through a flooded street as heavy rains and strong winds pummel Oman's Dhofar province. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Rain has lashed Salalah non-stop for several hours. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
High waves breaking along the shore. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Flooded Salalah streets. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Flooded Salalah streets. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Flooded Salalah streets. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Flooded Salalah streets. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo -
Flooded Salalah streets. Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP Photo
_______________
Read more:
Cyclone Mekunu and the UAE: everything you need to know
Aid to flow into Socotra throughout Ramadan, Red Crescent says
