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.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Need a picture of the Heineken looter guy with a turban on...

[SierraWasp]

Hey Iran!!! That Mother Naychur can be a real bich!!! Have a heapin helpin of that Globull Warmin hospitality from the Western Whirled!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!

You AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaRabs better not git too complaysent, neether!!!

[thackney]

I worked on design and construction of oil field facility a little to the West on the Yemen coast in 1994. If you use something like Google Earth it can be found at N14°41’57” and E49°29’9”

Storms of this strength in this area are NOT common. We did not build to Gulf Coast Wind Strength and I doubt it would be common to do so.

[SierraWasp]

I think one of ‘em in this county just died, if I’m not mistaken...

[thackney]

Did you bring this from Gulf of Mexico?

Be aware if you have travel plans.

[SierraWasp]

So, you don’t think it’ll make it through the straights of whoremuze and THEN take a conservative turn to the RIGHT?

[SierraWasp]

"...and perhaps knock off a few fantoms..."

Would that be the ghosts of the Iranians from that plane we "accidently" shot down during "Gulf War I"???

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Between this and Ahmanutjob ranting like a lunatic, crude should be hitting $100 a barrel soon. Time to trade the car in for a moped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oil/gas prices should be goin’ up today,,,
The lil’man from iran et al mite have a bigger problem,,,
Those Gulf States get 70-75% of their drinking water from
Desalination Plants on the coast,,,they will be wiped out
as well as anything else in the “Strike-Zone”,,,This will be that “Golden Moment” to take iran out,,,Hit em’ rite behind the storm,,,Oil will already be up,,,they will have no “oil weapon”,,,they will be helpless,,,Game Over...;0)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Careful now,....someone will start complaining about one of your famous rants!

ROFL!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now that is very interesting!

Would help in Iraq.....

[Badeye]

Wrong country, but yep....(chuckle)

If your planning a bombing run, anyway.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Is there any appreciable population on the Iranian side of the Gulf?

[SierraWasp]

That's the way... uh huh, uh huh, the way I like it, uh huh, uh huh...

Zipidee doo dah, zipidee yay... My, oh my, what a beautiful day...

BOMBS AWAY...

[KC Burke]

Population density on the Iranian path coast are herders and grazers peopled at 0 to 50 per square mile.

Another thought that occurs to me is the dust storms in that area are frequent, especially on the Arabian Penisula. I wonder how much dust this storm will get airborne and what that dust will do as it heats up and collects moisture?

[KC Burke]

I guess I sould also note that the Central Makran Range of mountains are just inland from that coast and as the storm rises up that range it will drop its load of moisture at an ever increasing rate with mudslides and flooding on a scale that will be unknown previously.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Reuters:

Super cyclonic storm Gonu

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

05 Jun 2007 14:57:00 GMT

Source: Tropical Storm Risk

Mark Saunders

Website: http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

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

Track and windspeed of Super cyclonic storm Gonu

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

A fisherman's boat is seen washed ashore after powerful tides snapped its anchor rope in the Pakistani coastal town of Gwadar June 5, 2007. Gonu, recorded as one of the strongest cyclone in the history of the Persian gulf is heading towards southern Iran engulfing the coastal region of Pakistan. Gonu with winds of 160 miles per hour (257 km per hour) and gusts of 195 miles per hour (314 km per hour) --- the equivalent of a Category Five hurricane -- headed northwest through the Indian Ocean toward Oman's east coast, with rain from its outer edges already affecting the nearby regions.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So the moisture may never get to Afghanistan....?

[Allegra]

Be aware if you have travel plans.

*sigh* Not for a couple of months. I'm stuck waaaay inland here, where it's hella hot.

Hope our guys in the Gulf will be OK.

[Allegra]

Check in, please! ;-) (Remember how we used to joke about that? Well, I’m series now...)

[Allegra]

Would help in Iraq.....

Don't know if Iraq has ever had any kind of tropical storm. Very little coastline.

I know it just doesn't rain here at all this time of year.