CYCLONE PHET Latest News - Cyclone Phet Updates

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8,000 evacuated in western India as Cyclone Phet intensifies

More than 8,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal and low-lying areas of Gujarat as Cyclone Phet intensified to a very severe cyclonic storm causing strong winds, thunderstorm and rainfall across the western Indian state, a senior government official said Thursday.

"The people have been evacuated after Cyclone Phet is building up in the Arabian Sea and has intensified into a super cyclone. Already heavy rainfall has started in many coastal districts, including Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The state has been put on high alert," the official said.

However, there's some good news as the cyclone has changed its course somewhat and instead of advancing towards the Gujarat coast, it is now heading towards the coast of Oman in the Arabian Peninsula. But it will be back towards the Karachi and Gujarat coasts over the weekend. We are not taking any chances," he said.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has said that Cyclone Phet will nonetheless bring more rain over Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Tropical cyclone Phet barreled toward the coast of the Gulf Arab state of Oman on Wednesday, strengthening quickly on its way to becoming a powerful category five storm.

Phet was not expected to make landfall in Oman, but should instead turn to skim parallel to the Sultanate's shore before roaring northeast toward Pakistan, according to tropical storm watch website www.tropicalstormrisk.com.

Phet would steer clear of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of all seaborne oil trade passes, or about 17 million barrels per day (bpd).

Phet was a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, with sustained winds of over 130 mph. It was expected to become a Category 5 storm, the most powerful with winds of over 156 mph, in the next 24 hours.

Phet would lash Oman's eastern region shores with hurricane-strength winds through Friday before moving northeast. It was expected to weaken before coming ashore just south of Karachi as a Category 3 storm on Sunday.

Oman is a small independent oil producer, pumping about 850,000 bpd. Most of its exports move from the ports of Mina al-Fahal, near the capital of Muscat. The storm was expected to turn northeast before reaching Muscat.

Operations at Oman LNG, the Sultanate's export facility for liquefied natural gas (LNG), were to date unaffected, an Oman LNG spokesperson said.

The three LNG production facilities, known as trains, are based in Sur in the eastern region, closer to the path of the storm. The region is also home to Oman's green back turtle.

"It is business as usual so far with Oman LNG but we are in touch with the authorities to see if there would be any change" Nasser al-Kindy, head of corporate communications at Oman LNG told Reuters.

Oman was battered by powerful Cyclone Gonu in 2007. The storm killed at least 54 people in Oman and Iran

Tropical storm Phet intensified over the last 24 hours and has grown into a full-blown and powerful cyclone. NASA's Terra satellite imagery of the storm from earlier today also revealed an eye in the storm, confirming the intensification. Residents of coastal Oman are bracing for strong winds, heavy rainfall and rough surf today and tomorrow.

NASA's Terra satellite flew over Tropical Cyclone Phet at 06:55 UTC (2:55 a.m. EDT or 6:55 p.m. local time/Pakistan). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument, or MODIS captured a visible image of Phet at that time, and noticed an eye in the center of the storm's circulation. Satellite imagery indicates the eye is about 12 kilometers (7 miles) in diameter.

At 0900 UTC (9 p.m. local time/Pakistan), Tropical Cyclone Phet had maximum sustained winds near 110 knots (126 mph) with gusts to 135 knots (155 mph). It is now considered a major cyclone (equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale). It is about 560 miles southwest of Karachi, Pakistan, near 17.7 North and 60.6 East. It is moving to the northwest near 5 knots (6 mph). Cyclone-force winds extend to 35 miles from the storm's center, while tropical-storm force winds extend as far as 75 miles from the center. It is creating very rough seas on the Arabian Sea with waves as high as 18 feet.

NASA's MODIS instrument captured a visible image of Phet at 06:55 UTC (2:55 a.m. EDT or 6:55 p.m. local time/Pakistan) on June 2, and indicated the eye is about 12 kilometers (7 miles) in diameter.

(Photo Credit: NASA Goddard/ MODIS Rapid Response Team)

Cyclone Phet is a threat to coastal Oman, India (Gujarat), and Pakistan (Sindh and Balochistan). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has forecast the storm to continue intensifying and to approach Oman on its way to a weekend landfall in southeastern Pakistan between Karachi and to the border with India.

RSMC New Delhi warns that gale force winds will be experienced along the Oman coast today and tomorrow as Phet continues to move through the Arabian Sea.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Evacuation
Oman Air, the Royal Airforce of Oman and the police aviation have begun evacuating people from Masirah Island to safer places, Al Ma'mari said.

National carrier Oman Air temporarily cancelled its flights to Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi to deploy the aircraft for the evacuation of citizens of Masirah Island, an airline spokesperson said.

The passengers stranded due to this cancellation will be accommodated on other flights, or will be provided suitable alternate arrangements, the spokesperson said. "As the safety of citizens is top priority, Oman Air pledges its support to ably assist the government towards this endeavour," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Badr bin Ali Al Rumhi, director of forecasting and observing department at the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Aviation at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said the tropical storm over the Arabian Sea has been categorised by the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal Storm Regional Centre as '3.5 A' degree. Though the convective clouds will intensify towards Muscat Governorate by tomorrow, the instensity of rain will be less in the capital, Al Rumhi said.

The Meteorology department will continue to keep a tab on the weather and update the public accordingly, he said.

Super storm
Tropical storm watch website www.tropicalstormrisk.com says the cyclone is not expected to make a landfall in Oman, but should instead turn to skim parallel to the Sultanate's shores before roaring towards Pakistan.

Professor Mark Saunders, lead scientist and project manager at Tropical Storm Risk, a University College of London department, said over telephone: "Phet will strike as a super cyclonic storm with speeds of 130 miles per hour, and either Category 4 or 5."

A storm that powerful would be strong enough to damage buildings, pull down trees and damage infrastructure, he said.

Meanwhile, walis have been asked to notify citizens in a number of wilayats in the Al Sharqiyah region, especially in the wilayats of Sur, Ja'lan Bani Bu Ali and Ja'lan Bani Bu Hassan, to stay away from wadis and low-lying areas during heavy rains.

Also, oil and gas firms, government departments and private establishments have been asked to take precautionary measures, Al Rumhi said. -- With inputs from agencies

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