Low pressure: Stranded people rescued in Mirbat, Salalah

Muscat: –The low-pressure system in the Arabian Sea brought heavy rains in eastern parts of the Dhofar Governorate with chances of moderate to heavy rains in the coastal areas. Salalah city also witnessed heavy rains in the wee hours of Sunday. The rain has completely subsided now. Three stranded people were rescued from their vehicles in the city. Mirbat recorded heavy rains and rescue operations had to be carried out on Sunday to protect a stranded person in the city. Road to Tawi Atair has been blocked due to the accumulation of stones on a long patch of the road. The authorities are working to clear the road. Water supply has also been disrupted in most parts of the Mirbat city due to damage in water supply pipelines. Work is on to restore the water supply. According to a source in the Salalah Met Office, the current disturbance that started on Friday would continue till Sunday with rain and thundershowers in some areas. Most of the desert areas received moderate to high rain with the strong wind mostly in the desert areas. Oman Met in an alert said, “Low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea is causing an advection of clouds with chances of varying intensity of rainfall occasionally and thundershowers over governorates of South Sharqiyah, Al Wusta, and Dhofar associated with fresh downdraft winds until Monday, July 20.” The alert sounded heavy rain and thundershower with an expected rainfall from 40 to 80mm on Saturday and Sunday. “It may cause fresh downdraft winds, flash floods, and reduction in horizontal visibility in the projected areas,” the Met alert said. It stated that the cloud formations on the Western Hajar Mountains – Al Buraimi and Al Dhahirah – will lead sporadic rains with thunderstorms. The cloud movement from the Arabian Sea has extended towards the North and South Sharqiyah, Al Wusta, Muscat, and South al Batinah. It has also covered parts of the North Coast of Al Batinah. The sea is stated to be rough during the disturbance with sea waves up to three to four meters.