Thousands flee as cyclone hits Oman

Thousands of people have fled low-lying areas in Oman as the strongest cyclone to hit the region in 60 years heads towards the oil-rich Persian Gulf, with southern Iran next in its path.

Winds up to 100 mph slammed into Oman’s sparsely populated eastern coast early today, Oman’s Civil Defence said.

But it was unclear if the eye of the storm had crossed into the sultanate. There were no reports of immediate damage.

The cyclone, which had decreased in strength overnight, was expected to skirt the region’s biggest oil installations but could disrupt shipping through the Straits of Hormuz, causing a spike in prices, oil analysts said.

Oil prices rose on Monday but retreated yesterday, though the storm weighed heavily on the market.

"If the storm hits Iran, it’s a much bigger story than Oman, given how much bigger an oil producer Iran is," said Antoine Haff of FIMAT USA, a brokerage unit of Societe Generale.

"At a minimum, it’s likely to affect tanker traffic and to shut down some Omani oil production as a precautionary measure," Haff said.

Early today, Cyclone Gonu spawned winds of up to 100 mph and waves up to 12 metres high as it lashed out at the coastal towns of Sur and Ra’s al-Hadd, the Civil Defence said in a statement. The cyclone also dropped heavy rains on Oman’s capital, Muscat, and other nearby towns where roads were empty as most people stayed indoors.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists predicted that the cyclone, which had weakened from earlier forecasts as it roared through shallow water and drier air, would head to the Gulf of Oman and hit land in southeastern Iran late today or early tomorrow.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, a US military task force that tracks storms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, predicted rough seas within the Straits of Hormuz, the transport route for two-fifths of the world’s oil and the southern entrance to the Gulf.

In Tehran, the government’s Department of Meteorology predicted heavy rains and strong winds along Iran’s southeastern coast. Storm warnings had been issued and some damage was expected, the department said.

Omani authorities had evacuated nearly 7,000 people from Masirah, a lowland island off the east coast of Oman, according to General Malik bin Suleiman al-Muamri, head of the country’s Civil Defence.

The island is located about 143 miles south of Sur.

Oman’s main international airport in Muscat, about 81 miles northwest of Sur, was also closed.

Masirah Island includes one of four air bases which the Omani government allows the US military to use for refuelling, logistics and storage, though little has been revealed publicly about US-Oman military ties.

The Masirah base hosted US. B-1B bombers, C-130 transports and US Special Forces AC-130 gunships during the war in Afghanistan and the United States has continued to have basing rights on the island.

On Masirah, authorities said a state of emergency had been declared.

Troops and police were mobilised to help provide shelter and medical services.

Authorities said they rescued 16 Bangladesh sailors off the eastern coast, but there were no injuries.

More families were also leaving their homes yesterday on the mainland, officials said.

The government said schools and public building were emptied to make room for the evacuees.

Oman’s major oil installations, which were not directly in the projected path and nowhere near as extensive as those of its neighbours, continued operations but took precautions as Gonu approached.

In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the government said the country and oil markets would not be seriously affected by the storm.

But some oil analysts said the storm could have a damaging effect on the oil market.

Manouchehr Takin, an analyst at the Centre for Global Energy Studies in London, said the real fear is that the loading of tankers might be delayed by the storm.

"About 17-21 million barrels a day of oil are coming out of the Persian Gulf. Even if only some of the tankers are delayed that could reduce the supply of oil and increase prices," Takin said.

Even with the weaker wind speeds, Gonu, which means a bag made of palm leaves in the language of the Maldives, is expected to be the strongest cyclone to hit the Arabian Peninsula since record keeping started in 1945.

A cyclone is the term used for hurricanes in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.