Cyclonic Storm “Ashobaa” brought record breaking rainfall and caused historic flooding in Oman

Deep tropical depression which evolved into a Cyclonic Storm "Ashobaa" on June 8 made landfall along Oman's eastern coast on June 12 bringing record breaking rainfall, historic floods and strong winds to Masirah Island and Sur. With 230 mm (9.05 inches) of rain in 24 hours, Ashobaa brought more than 5 years worth of rain in just one day setting a historic record for Oman.

The storm caused severe flooding, road cuts and power shutdown. Nearly 40 people were rescued from the flooding by the Oman's police, civil defense, army and air force.

After cyclones Guno and Phet caused severe damage in Oman in 2007 and 2010, the authorities were preparing for the worst. Local schools in Jalan Bani Bu Ali and Wadi Bani Khalid were transformed into storm shelters.

Civil defence teams and Pacda staff were on standby on Thursday, June 11 to respond to any emergency telephone calls from members of the public, while the ministry of commerce and industry said it had taken steps to avoid fuel and food shortages.

Ashobaa making landfall along Oman's eastern coast Oman on June 12, 2015 (image acquired at 07:15 UTC). Image credit: NASA Terra/MODIS.

Oman’s national center for emergencies said no death or injuries had been reported so far.

On Thursday afternoon, the Public Authority of Civil Aviation (Paca) reported the storm was located 120 km (74.5 miles) away from Oman’s southern Al Sharqiyah coast, with maximum sustained surface wind speeds varying between 64 and 83 km/h (40 – 51 mph)

The UAE's national center for meteorology and seismology reported wind speeds between 37 and 61 km/h (23 – 38 mph) on Friday, June 12.

The highest rainfall of 230 mm (9.05 inches) in 24 hours was recorded in Masirah, according to Oman’s ministry of regional municipalities and water resources. The average annual rainfall for Masirah Island is around 40 mm (1.51 inches), which means that more than five years worth of rain occurred in only 24 hours, setting a historic record for Oman.

Image credit: NASA Aqua/MODIS acquired June 13, 2015.

72-hr rainfall accumulation by GPM. Map credit: Google Earth.

Ras Al Had recorded 55 mm (2.16 inches) of rain, while 48 mm (29.8 inches) was recorded in Sur.

Featured Image: Tropical Cyclone "Ashobaa" making landfall on June 12, 2015. Credit: NASA Terra/MODIS.