Tropical Cyclone “Mekunu” slammed into Oman around 20:00 UTC on Friday, May 25, 2018 as the first Category 3 hurricane equivalent to hit the region in recorded history. The storm dumped nearly three years’ worth of rain in landfall area and left at least 5 people dead and 30 missing. Mekunu became an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm prior to landfall which occurred about 40 km (25 miles) WSW of Salalah, Oman’s third-largest city with a population of about 200 000.
At the time of landfall (midnight local time), Mekunu had maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), making it a Category 3 hurricane equivalent on the Safir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale – the first major cyclone in known history to hit the region (includes both Oman and Yemen). Mekunu’s powerful winds knocked over street lights and tore away roofing while extremely heavy rain it dumped flooded streets and stranded drivers. READ MORE
