Cyclone Gonu Weakens Enroute To Strait Of Hormuz
Cyclone Gonu, recorded as one of the strongest cyclones in the history of the Persian gulf is heading towards southern Iran engulfing the coastal region of Pakistan. It was also the first Category Five storm on record in the Arabian Sea. Today it has weakened as it took dry desert air, but still has quite a bit of energy. Winds were down to 85 mph as it brushed the NE coast of Oman which is located at the southeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula. According the folks at Accuweather, the average rainfall in Oman averages 0.04 of an inch of rain in June. Much of Muscat, a normally arid city was reported to be flooded. Gonu will continue to weaken as it tracks through the Sea of Oman, but will still bring gusty winds and heavy rain to southern Iran, another unfamiliar region with tropical cyclones. Cyclone Gonu pummeled Oman on Wednesday, halting oil and gas exports for a second day and forcing thousands to flee the coast.