SALALAH, Oman – The latest in Mekunu cyclone heading to the coast of Oman (all local timetables):

2:40 pm

Officials say preliminary figures show that 40 people -between they, Yemenis, Indians and Sudanese – are missing after the cyclone Mekunu hit the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen.

Officials said that more than 230 families had been relocated to take refuge in more robust buildings and other areas, including the innermost and in the mountains of the island.

They say that the floods swept the streets of Socotra, razed thousands of animals and cut electricity and communication lines. Some humanitarian aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates came just a few hours after the cyclone receded.

Authorities say heavy rains are now hitting the province of al-Mahra, in eastern Yemen, on the border with Oman. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

-Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen;

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1:05 pm

The Indian Meteorological Department, which tracks a cyclone heading towards the coast of Oman, says that "the country's Salalah city is expected to experience maximum winds and maximum rains and also the maximum cyclonic storm surge ".

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, an official of the department, says Cyclone Mekunu is now "about 180 kilometers south-southeast of Salalah", which is approximately 112 miles.

The official says that the cyclone's wind speed is currently 160-170 kilometers per hour (100-106 miles per hour), costing approximately 190 kph, and it was expected to continue at this speed until it lands on Oman.

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12:05

The streets are largely empty in the Omani coastal town of Salalah before the expected disembarkation of Cyclone Mekunu there this weekend.

Heavy rains and strong winds already hit the city. Standing water covered some roads on Friday, causing at least one car to hydroplane and turn over.

There was a considerable police presence on the road, many SUVs of the Royal Police of Oman with chicken wire over the windows. The port of Salalah has been closed, its cranes secured when the rain hit them.

The cyclone is expected to land early on Saturday near Salalah, the third largest city in Oman and home to some 200,000 people.

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Authorities in Oman have opened local schools in the city of Salalah to house those whose homes are in danger when Cyclone Mekunu is heading for the coasts of this country. Arabian Peninsula.

About 600 people, mostly workers, gathered Friday at the West Salalah School in the city as torrential rains fell. Some slept on mattresses on the floor of the clbadrooms, where they hung math and English posters on the walls.

Shahid Kazmi, a worker in the Kashmir region of Pakistan, told The Associated Press that the police had transferred him and others to the school. 19659028] He acknowledged being a little scared by the storm, but said: "Inshallah, we are safe here."

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7:30 am

Meteorologists warn that Mekunu cyclone is expected to be "extremely severe" "When it makes landfall in the Arabian Peninsula this weekend, after hitting the Yemeni island of Socotra

At least 17 people disappeared from Socotra, and a Yemeni official described them as probably dead.

Indian meteorologists tracking The cyclone said early on Friday that Mekunu would see gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning in the Arabian Peninsula near Salalah, the third largest city in Oman and home to some 200,000 strong waves crashing on its beaches early on Friday.

In Socotra, Governor Ramzy Mahrous says one ship sank and two others ran aground in the storm.

He says of the missing: "We consider them dead. "

tech2.org

The latest: official Yemen: 40 missing in cyclone in Socotra