BBC: Thousands flee Oman storm threat [strongest to hit the Arabian Peninsula since 1945]

BBC ^ | Tuesday, 5 June 2007, 11:57 GMT 12:57 UK | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thousands flee Oman storm threat

Muscat residents evacuated as storm clouds gathered

An unusually powerful cyclone has begun battering the coast of Oman with winds of 160mph (260 km/h) and large waves.

The centre of Tropical Cyclone Gonu is heading north-west through the Indian Ocean towards Oman's east coast.

Thousands of residents of coastal regions and the low-lying offshore island of Masirah have been evacuated.

People elsewhere have been told to stay indoors, while schools and public building have been emptied to make room for the evacuees.

The most powerful part of the storm was expected to hit Oman on Thursday, before moving north across the Gulf to Iran.

"It is expected to increase in the coming few hours accompanied by thunderstorms and heavy rainfalls as the cyclone crosses the sultanate," the official news agency of the wealthy oil-exporter said, quoting police.

Reports say Cyclone Gonu is expected to be the strongest to hit the Arabian Peninsula since records started in 1945.

While crossing the Indian Ocean on Monday it reached the equivalent of a Category Five hurricane - the highest category available.

[John Valentine]

Do you think this song is about you?

No, but it sure isn't about God's wrath on Bin Laden sympathizers either. That was the dumbass comment I was ticked off at.

[Constantine XIII]

Ah, that is true too.

[Constantine XIII]

“No, but it sure isn’t about God’s wrath on Bin Laden sympathizers either.”

True

[PA Engineer]

Yep.

[jeffers]

Yer evil.

Glad yer on our side.

;-)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

LOL,,,Hey There,,,Long Time No’See’Um,,,And,,,,,,That’s,,,

~~~MEDIEVAL~~~;0)...

[Bigh4u2]

Did you even bother to read the link??

It say’s NOTHING about OMAN and neither did I.

Try not getting your panties in a bunch over NOTHING moron!

[bhattathiri]

Will the all the gulf countries be affected and effect on oil production.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See the Map at link below:

Latest report from the BBC:

Cyclone hits Gulf state of Oman

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

This looks better,,,it's still gunna be cat 1 when it hits that iranian navy base on their side of the straits...;0)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Iranian navy base on their side of the straits...;0)

WELL NOW....Damn good AIM by .......providence.....perhaps....

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Bandar e Abbas(sp) on your map back upthread,,,looks like it’s gunna get the “Direct Hit”...;0)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The major port for Iran....?

************************************

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looking at the weather Forecast:

Bandarabbass, Iran...Weather Underground

Looks like it might cool things back down to a 100 degress....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

But by ....

Monday Scattered Clouds. High: 116° F. / 47° C.

Wind South 11 mph. / 18 km/h.

[Centurion2000]

I wonder if our carriers have moved out of the way or deeper into the Persian Gulf. Could be interesting trying to run flight ops around that storm.

[John Valentine]

The whole THREAD is about Oman, and Typhoon Gonu, or had that escaped you along with everything else? Of course, that might not matter to you as you seem to be off in a world of your own.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I would imagine that they have taken evasive action....that’s all I know ....but they do have access to satellite imagery as far as I know.

[GATOR NAVY]

This is an unprecedented event. NO CYCLONE has ever entered the Gulf of Oman.

Lot's of unreasonable "climate change" type freaking out about this storm. A reasonable reading would be "NO CYCLONE has ever entered the Gulf of Oman since records started being kept in the area in 1945.

All this "unprecedented" stuff is BS. The fact is we don't know what's "precedented" because no one paid attention to this area prior to 60 years ago.

[GATOR NAVY]

I just talked to a buddy of mine on the STENNIS. They’re not worried.