Waterspout reported off Al Hail, rain in Muscat and Musandam
Over the next 24 hours clear to partly cloudy skies are expected over Musandam and the coastal areas of Sea of Oman with chances of isolated rain
MUSCAT: A waterspout was spotted on Sunday morning off Al Hail North beach near Al Mouj Muscat. Residents reported that they observed the waterspout at around 7.10 am on Sunday.
“Many people were there at the beach, but most of them did not have cameras to take pictures,” said a resident of Al Hail.
“It looked like a funnel, and it was only visible for 5 minutes,” the resident added. According to experts, waterspouts are shortlived weather phenomenon, which sometimes occur in Oman.
“They typically form beneath cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds over water, just before showers begin.
The “funnel” is formed by water droplets in a rotating vortex of air and is characterised by limited movement due to light winds, and usually fade quickly when approaching land.
Meanwhile, light rain was reported in several parts of Muscat and Musandam on Sunday.
The Director General of Meteorology, Sultanate of Oman, issued an alert on Sunday, saying, “The Sea will be rough along the Oman and Musandam coasts from Sunday to Tuesday evening.” In Muscat, light rain fell in Qurum and in the Al Khuwair areas on Sunday morning.
In its 24 hour outlook, the Director General of Meteorology said: “Clear to partly cloudy skies over Musandam governorate and the coastal areas of the Oman Sea, with chances of isolated rain. Mainly clear skies over the rest of the Sultanate.”
The sea will be moderate to rough, with maximum wave heights reaching up to 2.5 meters on the western coast of Musandam and in the Sea of Oman on Sunday. “There will be poor horizontal visibility due to fog and rain,” it added.