2 kids drown as heavy rains to continue

Two children drowned in the Al Raiba area in the Wilayat of Ibri in Al Dhahirah on Thursday as heavy rains lashed several parts of the northern governorates resulting in overflowing of wadis and disruption in traffic. According to the Oman Met Office, there could be a noticeable drop in temperature on Friday.

The Civil Defence and Ambulance Department has called on everyone to monitor children and keep them away from wadis and water logged areas.

Wadi Dayqah Dam overflowed on Thursday after reaching its full capacity.

The weather experts said the chances for rains continue in Al Batinah South, Al Dakhiliyah, Muscat, Al Sharqiyah North and Al Sharqiyah South until Friday morning.

The traffic in Muscat Express Highway slowed down on Thursday and there were road mishaps in Barka.

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, in coordination with the Royal Oman Police, opened the four traffic lanes for motorists coming from Muscat.

The weather forecast for Friday is expected to be clear to partly cloudy skies over Al Sharqiyah North, Al Sharqiyah South and coastal areas of the Sea of Oman with isolated rain.

After the heavy rains and flooded wadis, classes were suspended in some places. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported major floods in wadis, disrupting traffic in several wilayats. Notably, Wadi Indam overflowed, blocking the Izki-Sinaw road, prompting the ROP to urge motorists to exercise caution and avoid crossing flooded areas.

Nama Electricity Distribution issued alerts advising subscribers to keep children away from poles, stations, transformers and boxes. It urged the public to dial 1011 for emergency.

The Oman Met Office warned of strong winds across all governorates, particularly in coastal areas such as the Sea of Oman, Musandam and desert regions.