At least three people died in Oman as Cyclone Shaheen bore down on the Gulf country, with authorities urging residents to evacuate coastal areas and delaying flights to and from the capital, Muscat.
A child was killed by flash floods, the state news agency said, and another person was missing, while two other people died because of a landslide.
The eye of the storm was around 60 km from Muscat and was carrying top winds reaching 120 kph or more, according to a joint statement by the country’s hazard, weather and civil aviation agencies.
Oman declared a two-day national holiday on Sunday and Monday and shuttered schools “due to the adverse climate conditions”, the state news agency continued.
Gulf neighbor UAE was also on “high alert,” according to Emirati emergency services.
Deadly storms are a periodic occurrence in the Gulf.
Southern Oman was hit by Cyclone Mekunu in May 2018, in addition to the Yemeni island of Socotra, killing at least 11 people.
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