The city of Salalah on Oman’s south coast is a deceiving and interesting place. Salalah is Oman’s 2nd largest city after Muscat and sits on southeast edge of the Arabian peninsula with Indian Ocean to it’s south and steep mountains to it’s immediate north and this is why it’s not as hot as it’s northern neighbours.
It’s also surprisingly cloudy during the summer thanks to the indirect influences of the Indian monsoon. Despite having a hot, desert climate and being in a monsoon zone, it only receives about 5 inches of rain a year.
This city was hit hard by recent Cyclone Mekunu which formed over southern India and rapidly intensified over warm water before coming ashore as a cat 3 equivalent cyclone.
While wind and waves were a big factor, the prolific rainfall produced by Mekunu was the most destructive part of this event.
In total and within a 3 day period, as much as 24 inches of rain fell on the city. That’s 5 years worth of rain. Within 24 hours, 10.9 inches of rain fell, that’s over 2 years worth.
During that 24 hour period, Salalah was the wettest place on earth.
WATCH: Incredible footage of the aftermath of category 2 cyclone Mekunu in the Salalah region in Oman this morning, May 26.
Not comparable with the Niagara Falls!#oman #weather #mekunu #MekunuCyclone #ArabianSea @spann @JimCantore @TomHall pic.twitter.com/jHO42Afu4m
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) May 26, 2018
Cyclone Mekunu has battered Socotra off the coast of Yemen and has made a bit of a mess of Salalah in southern Oman. Cat 3 downgraded in the last hour to Cat 1. pic.twitter.com/SoDZ9ZZv1Z
— @GeoBex (@Bex2018Geobex) May 26, 2018
Cyclone hit salalah ,Oman today my dad and family lives there need prayers pls remember us in your prayers ?? pic.twitter.com/L18JIrV1tf
— nice guy zaki (@zakiistan) May 26, 2018
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: https://www.flickr.com/photos/50755773@N06/5471194938/in/photostream/
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