MUSCAT : Cyclone Shaheen is brewing over the Arabian Sea, and the Oman government authorities have issued alerts to ward-off any untoward developments, as the tropical cyclone have deepened into Category 1.
From commercial establishments and educational institutions to Transport and IT department and also ships, marine units and shipping companies are on high alert in the country. Some universities have already suspended studies and some have gone back to online classes for the next few days, as the cyclone is likely to gain strength now.
Incidentally, Cyclone Shaheen is the resurrection of Cyclone Gulab, which began as a depression in Bay of Bengal on September 24. After passing through the Indian coast, and traversing Pakistan coast, it reached the other side of Arabian Sea, as Cyclone Shaheen. Such a phenomenon of a cyclone formed in Bay of Bengal emerging as cyclone in Arabian Sea is very rare, according to experts.
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Since the Sea of Oman has witnessed a rise in sea waves ahead of Shaheen, the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Centre has alerted the public to stay away from low-lying areas adjacent to coasts. The sea would be rough and the wave height would range from 8 to 12 meters. Also, the wind speed around the centre is 64-82 knots
Cyclone Shaheen named by Qatar In this new form, it was named Shaheen, which means ‘Royal white falcon’ in Arabic, by Qatar. There is protocol followed in naming the tropical cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and this time it was the turn of Qatar to name it. We all know, the name Gulab was give by Pakistan. Prior to that, in May this year, the cyclone that brewed over Bay of Bengal, was named ‘Yaas’, meaning jasmine flower, by Oman.
The protocol to give names to tropical cyclones was finalised by the World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Under this protocol, 13 countries in the region, including the Arab nations, have given a list of 13 names each, from which the name is selected. Once the first list of 13 names is completed, the names are chosen from the second list and so on. In the first list, eight names have been used and the next chance is for Saudi Arabia, and the name is Cyclone Jawad. This way, the scientific community can also spread awareness about the cyclones among the people.
The member countries in this convention are: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The protocol says that the names should not have any inflammatory meanings. It should be neutral in every aspect – politically, ideologically, religiously, culturally, and even in gender attributes.
According to experts, there are three types of cyclones – tropical cyclones, extra-tropical cyclones and tornadoes. The term cyclone refers to a wind that rotates inwardly to an area of low atmospheric pressure.
The latest one, Shaheen has developed into a severe cyclonic storm and is now at around 200 km east-southeast of Chabahar Port in Iran, according to meteorological officials. The storm is expected to move towards Oman’s coast across Gulf of Oman and weaken gradually, according to them.
Oman has taken all precautions after putting it into a category 1 tropical cyclone. The storm is likely to directly impact coastal areas, including the capital Muscat from Sunday.
