- Cyclone Hikaa was previously thought to be weakened into a 鈥榙eep depression鈥� before reaching land
- 鈥楬eavy and intense鈥� rainfall is expected to hit the low coastal areas
DUBAI: A severe weather warning has been issued in southern Oman as Cyclone Hikaa approaches the coast, bringing with it a heightened risk of flash floods and strong winds late Tuesday.
It was previously thought that Hikaa would grow no stronger than a tropical storm, weakening to a deep depression before reaching land.
But an Omani meteorological spokesman said the storm had been upgraded to a cyclone, which would hit Al Wusta and South Sharqiyah in southern Oman, at about 7pm on Tuesday, Sept. 24 until Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Winds are expected to reach up to 148kph, hitting low coastal areas the worst.
There will also be an increased risk of 鈥渉eavy and intense鈥� rainfall of up to 50-90 mm, increasing the risk of flash floods in the area.