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Muscat: A low pressure system over the Arabian Sea that has grabbed the attention of people in Oman over the past week, is weakening, the weather office said on Saturday.
The Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) has been issuing daily updates on the weather system, hoping to douse speculation that a repeat of last year's devastating tropical cyclone was imminent.
Uncannily, the appearance of the latest low in the Arabian Sea coincided with the first anniversary of tropical cyclone Gonu, which, on June 6 last year, pummelled parts of the capital and the eastern coast. A total of 49 people lost their lives, while 14 others who went missing were never found.
Heavy rain
Cyclone Gonu dumped a staggering 943mm of rain on Oman during a 24-hour period. According to officials that was far greater than rainfall levels recorded during Hurricane Katrina's catastrophic sweep over New Orleans in the United States in August 2005.
The resulting deluge damaged infrastructure, and disrupted communications and power and water supply.
In its latest communique, DGMAN sought to reassure the general public that low pressure systems are a natural occurrence over the Arabian Sea, especially at this time of year.
The most recent low was detected off the west coast of India around the middle of last week.
DGMAN's daily bulletins were displayed prominently on the front pages of local newspapers. The updates have helped dramatically allay widespread jitters over another looming storm.
A similar low that appeared off the west coast of India last month prompted many people to stock up on drinking water and food.
"We would like to assure citizens and residents that we are constantly monitoring the weather situation, and we will continue to provide regular updates in a transparent manner," DGMAN said in a statement.
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