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Extremely heavy rains cause deadly floods in Oman and Iran

ByTeo Blašković
extremely-heavy-floods-muscat-oman-iran-january-2022

Image credit: Arab Storms

Several days of heavy rains have caused severe floods across Oman and Iran in which more than 10 people lost their lives. Heavy rains have also affected United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

According to Oman's Civil Defence report issued on January 1, 2022, 6 people have been killed and 20 rescued in areas around the capital Muscat, Al Batinah South, and Ad Dakhiliyah.1

Severe flooding worsened in Muscat on January 4, when 5 people had to be rescued after they were trapped in waterlogged areas in the Wilayat of Bawshar.

According to data provided by Arab Weather, the Wilayat of Bawshar in Muscat received 110 mm (4.33 inches) of rain within just a few hours — representing two months' worth of its average January rainfall. 

During the same period, Wilayat of Seeb recorded 108 mm (4.25 inches).2

​Extensive damage was reported across the guvernorate.

Around 20 000 people have been affected in 17 provinces across Iran, with areas in Hormogozon, Sistan and Baluchestan, Fars, and Kerman the worst affected, the Iranian Red Cross (IRCS) reported on January 4. 

At least 6 people have lost their lives in Farab, Lamerd, and Beyram in Fars Province, Sirjan in Kerman Province, and Mehrestan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Severe flooding was reported in the United Arab Emirates and further east in Balochistan Province in Pakistan and Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, where helicopters were used to rescue stranded people.

References:

1 Middle East – Deadly Floods in Oman and Iran – FloodList

2 Muscat records twice its monthly average of rain on Tuesday morning 01/04/2022 – Arabia Weather

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.

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