The public has been asked to not go to the beach and to avoid valleys and low lying places…

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) made a few announcements during a briefing pertaining to the developments in the tropical situation ‘Shaheen’ on Saturday, October 2.

During the meeting, the NCEMA stated that the Northeast coast around Fujairah and Al Ain would be the worst affected. According to the forecasts of the meteorology centre, it is expected that the country will be under alert from Sunday, October 3, until Tuesday, October 5.

The centre stated that Shaheen was centred in the northwest of the Arabian Sea at latitude 24.3 north and longitude 60.9 east. It is accompanied by various formations of clouds interspersed with cumulus rain clouds (with lightning and thunder expected) of different intensities and strong winds on the Arabian Sea, with a speed around the centre of 116 to 140 km.

The concerned authorities are working with the National Center of Meteorology to monitor the tropical situation, its movements and the extent of its impact on the regions of the country.

Here are the decisions and procedures announced by the NCEMA 

The authority stated that some schools and universities in the country will switch to distance learning. Local government agencies will be able to work remotely.

Additionally, community members have been asked to not go to the beach and the sea during this period and to prevent going to the valleys (which are prone to flooding) and low lying places.

The winds are expected to raise dust which will reduce horizontal visibility, so drivers are urged to be cautious.

The public is urged to follow all procedures and measures as announced by the concerned authorities at the local level and to follow information broadcasted by official channels regarding weather conditions.

The NCEMA pointed out that the concerned authorities are highly prepared to deal with the upcoming tropical situation, and the measures that will be taken are proactive and preventive measures to mitigate its impact on the regions of the country.

NCEMA will host another media briefing today on October 3 at 5.30pm with the latest developments on Shaheen.

Stay safe!

Images: Getty