Southern Oman braces for impact of Tropical Cyclone Tej

Parts of the Dhofar governorate to be evacuated

Workers repair damage following Cyclone Tej. All photos: Oman News Agency

Flooding after heavy rainfall in Salalah

Workers repair damage following Cyclone Tej

Several roads were closed at the weekend in Oman in preparation for Tej making landfall

Flooding in Dhofar Governate

Cloudy skies and a waterfall in Dhofar

Cloudy skies over Dhofar

Wet driving conditions in Salalah

Storm clouds over Salalah, in the southern part of the sultanate

Tej, which was 450km off the coast of Oman on Sunday afternoon, had intensified into a Category 3 storm

Oman ordered the evacuation of parts of Dhofar province in preparation for tropical cyclone Tej

Tej was expected to further intensify into a Category 4 cyclone by Monday

Authorities announced two days of holiday for the public and private sectors in Dhofar province and the wilayat of Al Jazir in Al Wusta province

Extremely heavy rainfall of between 200mm and 500mm is expected on Monday and Tuesday

Wadis are expected to overflow, leading to flash floods

Oman's National Committee for Emergency Management has ordered the evacuation of parts of the Dhofar governate in preparation for Tropical Cyclone Tej, which is expected to make landfall on Sunday night.

Authorities have also announced two days of holiday for public and private sectors in the Dhofar Governate and the wilayat of Al Jazir in Al Wusta governorate.

Oman's Salalah port will be also temporarily shut down starting on Sunday at 5pm.

The Civil Aviation Authority said Cyclone Tej, which was 450km off the coast of Oman on Sunday afternoon, has intensified into a Category 3 storm, which is in the mid-range of cyclones.

The CAA said wind speeds at the centre of the storm are expected to reach between 100 to 112 knots [185kph to 200kph] around the centre, Oman News Agency said.

The forecasts suggest that the cyclone will continue to move towards the coasts of Dhofar Governorate and is expected to further intensify into a Category 4 cyclone in the next 24 hours.

The direct impact of the cyclone will be in the Dhofar and Al Wusta governorates starting from Sunday night, with heavy rainfall of between 50mm to 150mm expected.

Monday and Tuesday will see the major impact of the storm, with extremely heavy rainfall of between 200mm and 500mm, which will cause wadis to overflow and lead to flash floods. There will also be strong gusts of wind which may lead to falling trees.

The CAA advised people to avoid the risk of crossing wadis and low-lying areas and said to avoid the sea during this period.

The National Committee for Emergency Management said authorities have evacuated residents from Al Hallaniyyat Islands and coastal areas in the wilayat of Salalah, Rakhyut and Dhalkut.

The Main Military Committee for Emergency Management of the Sultan’s Armed Forces has said it is prepared for the tropical cyclone and has placed military personnel in areas that are expected to be affected.

In the UAE, the National Centre of Meteorology said the indirect effect on the Emirates will see a flow of moisture from the Arabian Sea on the eastern and southern parts of the country, leading to possible rain.