Almotamar.net and Reuters - Local authorities in the Yemeni southern governorate of Al-Mahara sent warnings to citizens and fishermen not to go to sea in precaution of being exposed to any harm in case the tropical cyclone GONU reaches the Arabian Sea from west of the Indian continent.
Sources at operations of Al-Mahara governorate told almotamar.net despite of confirmations that the cyclone will not reach the coasts of Yemen the authorities launched those warnings, pointing out to taking precautionary measures by the governorate's authorities.
A source at the ministry of local administration told almotamar.net the minister Abdulqader Hilal issued Monday urgent instructions to al-Mahara authorities on taking n necessary measures to avoid damage and effects that might happen in case the cyclone reached the shores of the governorate.
An unusually powerful cyclone in the Arabian Sea has weakened slightly as it heads toward oil and gas terminals along the northeast corner of Oman, which it may pass over late this evening, forecasters said on Tuesday.
Tropical Cyclone Gonu, which earlier reached the equivalent of a maximum-force Category Five hurricane, helped drive oil prices up more than $1 on Monday on fears it would cut exports or disrupt Gulf shipments, which make up a fifth of the world's crude.
Brent crude eased 10 cents to $70.30 a barrel by 0524 GMT.
The world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, said on Monday its main oil-exporting region would not be affected by the storm, but non-OPEC exporter Oman put its army and police on high alert.
In an updated status report as of 0300 GMT, the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center said maximum sustained winds had eased to 135 miles per hour (mph), which would put the storm at the equivalent of a Category Four hurricane.
After passing Oman, it expects the storm to head toward Iran across the Gulf of Oman, a major shipping channel for Gulf crude oil exports.
The Weather Underground Web site earlier showed the storm passing directly over Oman's easternmost tip, which shelters a 10 million tonne per year liquefied natural gas export terminal at Sur and, further north, an oil terminal at Mina al Fahal, which ships all of the country's estimated 650,000 bpd of exports.
Sources at the both terminals told Reuters early on Tuesday that operations were continuing as normal for the moment, although they had been warned of the storm's approach.
The current forecast keeps the eye of Gonu over water as it brushes by Oman and then turns the system toward southern Iran," Kevin Roth, senior meteorologist at the Weather Channel, wrote on the company's Web site (www.weatherchannel.com).
If so, wind speeds would slow to 75 mph, Roth wrote. He said the storm would pass Oman late Tuesday afternoon or evening, U.S. time.
DTN Meteorlogix said the storm, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and gusts up to 195 mph, was expected to decrease in intensity before making landfall in Oman on Wednesday.
The last hurricane-strength tropical storm to hit Oman was in May 2002, Roth said, and forecasters said Gonu may be the most powerful storm ever to have formed in the region.
A shipping agent for nearby OPEC member the United Arab Emirates said on Monday no official warning had been issued, although the country's eastern coastline opens onto the Indian Ocean. A Dubai-based shipping agent also said no official warning had been sent to his company.