Muscat: All educational institutions in the Dhofar Governorate will remain closed today and tomorrow as part of safety measures in the wake of weather forecasts predicting heavy rains and floods for the next few days.
In its statement, the Ministry of Education said that it has decided to suspend studies on Sunday (October 22) and Monday (October 23) in governmental and private schools Studies will resume on Tuesday, October 24.
Higher Education
The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation also said in a statement that studies will be suspended on Sunday and Monday at Dhofar University, the Vocational College in Salalah, and private training institutions in Dhofar Governorate.
Telecom services
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said that it has directed companies in the Sultanate of Oman to prepare to ensure continuity of service, due to the possibility of the impact of the tropical conditions in the Arabian Sea on the coasts of the Dhofar and Al Wusta Governorates.
TRA said its communications center has been activated to receive comments and reports about communications services provided to citizens and residents around the clock.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority added that the communications centers of the telecommunications companies have been also activated to receive reports of outages in the event of any malfunctions in the networks due to the possibility of the tropical situation passing over the two governorates.
Essential supplies
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion (MOCII) has confirmed the availability of all consumer goods and foodstuffs in local markets and stores considering the possibility that the coasts of the Dhofar and Al Wusta Governorates will be affected by the tropical situation in the Arabian Sea.
The Ministry confirmed that petroleum products and their derivatives are available in all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.
The Ministry indicated that companies were directed to enhance the stocks of fuel and cooking gas in the Dhofar and Al Wusta Governorates, to ensure the continuity of fuel filling station services in various exceptional circumstances.
Tourist Sites
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) called for the closure of all public parks, beaches, and heritage sites for three days until Tuesday.
Forecast
Tropical Storm Tej is located at 10 degrees North latitude and 57.31 degrees East longitude.
It is about 755 kilometers away from the coasts of Oman.
The wind speed around the center ranges from 34 to 63 knots, and the nearest rainy cloud mass is located about 480 kilometers away in the Willayat of Sadah.
The prediction of the tropical storm will continue to move west-northwestward toward the coasts of Dhofar Governorate and Yemen's Al-Mahra Governorate.
It is expected to intensify into a Category 1 tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.
The direct impact is expected to begin on Dhofar and Al Wusta on Sunday evening. The landfall of the tropical system is expected to be on Tuesday morning between Dhofar Governorate and Yemen's Al-Mahra Governorate.
The tropical storm will intensify to a Category 1 tropical cyclone on Sunday with wind speed around the center ranging from 64 to 82 knots ( 128-150 km/h) and the center of the system is about (300- 400km) away from the Sadah coast. The direct impact is expected by the advection of rainy clouds over the AL Wusta and Dhofar governorates.
Heavy rainfalls expected may range between 50 — 200 mm and cause flash floods (Wadis). Strong winds with speeds of 25 to 35 kt (46-64 km/h) may lead to the dispersal of loose materials and the falling of trees. Wave height along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea with maximum wave high ranging from 4 to 7 m with inundated water due to storm surge.
Dhofar Municipality
The Dhofar Municipality Emergency Committee has intensified efforts to ensure are in place to deal with developments in the tropical situation Tej, which is expected to affect the coasts of Dhofar Governorate.
The work teams will follow up on actions such as removing obstacles to facilitate the flow of wadis, apart from providing equipment and water drainage pumps.
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