WADI WATERS IN FULL FORCE RIP INTO ROADS
The roads to and from the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate were closed due to fog and rain on Tuesday. Many roads were damaged due to heavy rains after depression set in since Saturday. From 11.00 am to 12.00 on Tuesday, Shinas in Al Batinah North, received 51.6 mm. According to the officials at the weather station of the Civil Aviation Authority, this is a record amount of rain in the Wilayat of Shinas, in just one hour.
The flooded areas required authorities to conduct emergency operations. Operations continued for rescue, evacuation and transport of medical supplies in Al Batinah South Governorate.
Heavy rains lashed Al Buraimi, Musandam, Shinas and Suhar. Even petrol stations, parking lots as in the case of Shinas Vocational College, were flooded.
Wadi Al Zahimi, Liwa, Wadi Humaira in Shinas are all flowing in full strength. A wadi cut through Sinaw - Mahut road, and the Beach Road in Suhar has also had the same impact of being ripped apart as the wadi water continued to drain out into the sea.
Earlier, people in the village of Qada, located in the Wilayat of Khasab were evacuated and its residents directed to designated shelter places to ensure their safety. People were rescued by ROP helicopters from a flooded Wadi in
Bidiyah.
Once again the wadis have outlined their clear path to reach their respective basins to drain. Oman’s road network has been known as one of the best road infrastructures overcoming the challenges of mountainous and uneven terrain. The much admired road design might now have to incorporate bridges to aid wadis for an uninterrupted flow to its destination.
Meanwhile, the aerial image showed the continued formation of cumulus clouds over the Arabian Gulf and over the deserts of the Empty Quarter and their movement was towards the governorates of Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah and Al Batinah North, with chances of rain of varying intensity, accompanied by active descending winds and occasional hail during Tuesday night and early morning on Wednesday.
The weather forecaster at Oman Met Office explained there were three waves embedded in the same system and on Tuesday it was the third wave to be concluded on early Wednesday morning.
“The rest of the day on Wednesday, there would be just some advection and cloud formation over Al Hajar Mountains in addition to some isolated rain,” the weather forecaster told the Observer.
According to him, the places that are expected to receive highest amount of rainfall are Musandam, Al Batinah North, Al Dhahirah, Al Batinah South and Al Hajar Mountains.
Heavy thunderstorms was accompanied by active downward winds, and hailstones were expected during the late night and on Wednesday morning, with rain amounts ranging between 30-100 mm in the governorates of Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, Al Batinah North, Al Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah South, Muscat, Al Sharqiyah North, Al Sharqiyah South and northern Al Wusta Governorate. Scattered rain that may be thundery at times is also expected to be experienced in Dhofar Governorate.
Expectations indicate that the weather condition will begin to gradually weaken and recede starting tomorrow evening, on Wednesday and Thursday morning, with continued chances of scattered rain on the coasts of the Al Wusta and Dhofar Governorates.