Sat photo of Phet as it passed near Sur at 2:30 this afternoon... what a huge storm.Update 9:00pm Friday
Cyclone Phet now safely on its way to Pakistan, and is currently receeding from Muscat, back on a solid NE trajectory, according to the JTWC.
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This means the strong winds of the past few hours should be behind us.
HOWEVER - there's a lot a rain that's still making its way down wadis and probably a significant amount of rain still to come, as Phet sends us its backwash, all heavily laden with water; precipitation that will happily fall in the Oman Mountains over the next 24 hrs.
So, take care readers. Update: As Jet Driver points out, there is still some potential for dams to burst and/or be forced to release water suddenly. Wadi-tourists are taking big risks. If you're an adult, well, you're an idiot risking the life of emergency services personnel. If you're an adult taking children to gawk at wadis, you're criminally negligent.
Qurm again flooded like crazy, with CCC and McDonalds experiencing the usual many feet of water. Al Arami didn't even bother with the sandbags. LOL
Ghubra is, as expected, a total mess.
Just got an sms that a part of the desalination plant is down
ReplyDeleteAny news on the dam out by SQ uni anyone?
ReplyDeleteNot true. The desalination plant is working at full capacity, and recieves a full compliment of natural gas from Yibal.
ReplyDeleteFlooding in Ghubera, Qurum is a serious issue. The projects initiated for the purpose after GONU, needs dragon analysis! Meanwhile theories circulating pre-Gonu of Oman not suffering natural disaster because of its piousness is completely out of window! Most deaths are because of Wadi crossing by Omanis and electrocution to poor expats.
ReplyDeleteJust shows to what a great extent we've screwed up the weather systems of the planet.
ReplyDeleteOman used to get rain once in 2 - 3 years once upon a time.
Flooding in 2007, 2010....makes you think about the gravity of the situation really. Ridiculous.
Hope that Pakistan isnt pounded too badly.
Muscat used to have considerably more rain 20 or 30 years ago than now, Wadi Kabir (in Ruwi) would flood several times each winter and you only have to look at the Muscat / Muttrah dams to realize that the authorities were concerned about flooding.
ReplyDeleteThen Qurm Heights was the western extent of coastal Muscat ; low lying areas were built on later - in the late 80s Shatti al Qurm - mid 90s Ghubra and Azaiba.
Its not possible to leave out the numerous Cyclones that Oman has had in the past. Most track in around Masirah to Duqm. For the sake of brevity only highlights listed
Muscat and Northern Omans Cyclone in 1890 swept up from Muscat towards Nizwa, lifting up entire fields of date trees.
Masirah Cyclone in 1977 damaged the then new BBC relay station.
Salalah one in 2002 was memorable for me as I was in Salam Street watching shop sign boards fly into the sky
I'm slightly confused as to how we have screwed up the weather systems of this planet.
ReplyDeleteThe last 50 years have seen a decrease in the number of hurricanes.
And how more rain for Oman can be seen as a bad thing for Oman I'll never know.
What has been screwed up in Oman is proper town planning. The fact that proper hydro studies have not been commissioned is negligent at the least. I am not complaining I'm not allowed to buy property here.
Hump
LOL @: "I'm not complaining, I'm not allowed to buy property here."
ReplyDelete