Kyarr’s impact was felt as waves struck Muttrah coasts
“Modelling studies on average project an increase on the order of 10 to 15 percent for rainfall rates averaged within about 100 km of the storm for a two-degree Celsius global warming scenario.”
Although Kyarr did not directly impact Oman, its impact was definitely felt in the Sultanate, as eightfoot high waves struck the Muttrah Corniche in Muscat, causing cracks to appear on the pavements, and prompting the authorities to issue a warning asking people to say away from the seashore. Some roads in the Batinah Governorate were also badly damaged, while in Sharqiyah, some homes near Ras Al Hadd were flooded, leading to local authorities to find alternate accommodation for those who had been affected by Kyarr.
Some 170 families in the Batinah Governorate alone were evacuated from low-lying areas, as emergency services were placed on standby to offer assistance to those who had lost their homes and property, or had become stranded due to the effects of Kyarr. With the cyclone off the coast of Oman, several lowlying areas were also flooded as sea levels rose, leading to local municipalities deploying cleanup crews.
“Sohar has become the more beautiful and sweeter with the cooperation and solidarity of all citizens in cleaning up after tropical cyclone Kyarr,” said a statement from Sohar Municipality, and the Ministry of Transport added, “The Roads Department of South Sharqiyah carried out the urgent maintenance of roads affected by climatic conditions over the coastal areas, in cooperation with the Directorate General of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources of the governorate.
“As a result of this cooperation, the accumulated sand in the area of Ras Al Ruwais Ali has been removed,” said the ministry. “The Ashkarah-Shannah road and the road leading to the coastal areas of Al Juwairah has also been cleared of sand. The Department of Roads in North Sharqiyah carried out similar work on the Sinaw-MuhutDuqm road.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US Department of Commerce had said, “Kyarr is the first super cyclone that has formed over the Arabian Sea since Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu in 2007,” and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) had previously said: “Cyclone Kyarr is breaking records as the strongest cyclone in the Arabian Sea in 12 years.”
The seas of Oman off the Dhofar Governorate, however, are still rough, with Kyarr continuing to move in a south south-west direction, with the Directorate General of Meteorology saying, “The continued indirect effects of the tropical phenomenon on the Dhofar governorate within the next 24 hours will see cloud flows over the Dhofar governorate with chances of rain, moderate to active northeasterly winds that cause dust and sand to rise.
The rough seas on the coast of Dhofar Governorate will see waves rising to heights of between 2.5 and 3.5 metres.”