1977 Oman cyclone
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Oman cyclone was the second-strongest cyclone on record to hit the Arabian Peninsula
, after Cyclone Gonu
. It formed off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea, and curved westward to reach peak winds of 70 mph (112.7 km/h). The storm struck Masirah Island
and later southern Oman
on June 13, before dissipating the next day over Saudi Arabia
. It killed at least 105 people and left 50,000 homeless.
(JTWC) identified a tropical disturbance off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea
. The system moved northward, followed by a northwest turn on June 10; around that time, it is estimated the system intensified into a tropical storm. It curved toward the west, and the JTWC reported the cyclone as reaching peak winds of 70 mph (112.7 km/h) on June 11. The JTWC issued the final advisory at 0800 UTC
on June 13 as the storm was making landfall
on Masirah Island
. The Oman Department of Meteorology reported the storm as being much stronger than the JTWC, with sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) with gusts to 140 mph (225.3 km/h). Shortly after striking Masirah, the storm moved ashore mainland Oman
, causing rapid weakening to tropical depression status. The system dissipated on June 14 after crossing into southeastern Saudi Arabia
.
The cyclone was the strongest on record to make landfall on the Arabian Peninsula
, until Cyclone Gonu
surpassed it in 2007.
The military base in Masirah raised a Category 3 warning on the morning of June 12, which was soon upgraded to Category 2. Skies clouded over in the afternoon, and rain squalls moved across the island that evening. Hurricane-force winds struck during the morning hours of June 13, with sustained winds peaking at 167 km/h (104 mph) with gusts to 200 km/h (124 mph). The pressure fell to 956 mb, and Masirah remained within the eye for 40 minutes. Winds then increased out of the southwest towards 185 km/h (115 mph) which caused buildings to collapse and roof beams to be blown through the air. Every building at the base sustained damage, and virtually all homes in the nearby village were leveled. Rain totals were significant, with a total of 482.3 millimetres (19 in) falling 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) northeast of Salalah. One location reported 430.6 millimetres (17 in) in 24 hours. Floods washed away thousands of animals as well as lime and palm-tree plantations. Additionally, the winds downed thousands of trees across the region.
The cyclone was considered the worst disaster in Oman during the 20th century. Overall, the cyclone caused 105 deaths and 48 injuries, and 50,000 people were left homeless. The death toll is disputed, as another report indicated 110 deaths in Oman.
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, after Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu is the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, and is also the strongest named cyclone in the northern Indian Ocean...
. It formed off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea, and curved westward to reach peak winds of 70 mph (112.7 km/h). The storm struck Masirah Island
Masirah Island
Masirah is an island off the East coast of Oman, 95 km long north-south, between 12 and 14 km wide, with an area of about 649 km², and a population estimated at 12,000 in 12 villages mainly in the north of the island...
and later southern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
on June 13, before dissipating the next day over Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It killed at least 105 people and left 50,000 homeless.
Meteorological history
On June 9, the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) identified a tropical disturbance off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. The system moved northward, followed by a northwest turn on June 10; around that time, it is estimated the system intensified into a tropical storm. It curved toward the west, and the JTWC reported the cyclone as reaching peak winds of 70 mph (112.7 km/h) on June 11. The JTWC issued the final advisory at 0800 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on June 13 as the storm was making landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
on Masirah Island
Masirah Island
Masirah is an island off the East coast of Oman, 95 km long north-south, between 12 and 14 km wide, with an area of about 649 km², and a population estimated at 12,000 in 12 villages mainly in the north of the island...
. The Oman Department of Meteorology reported the storm as being much stronger than the JTWC, with sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) with gusts to 140 mph (225.3 km/h). Shortly after striking Masirah, the storm moved ashore mainland Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, causing rapid weakening to tropical depression status. The system dissipated on June 14 after crossing into southeastern Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
The cyclone was the strongest on record to make landfall on the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, until Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu is the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, and is also the strongest named cyclone in the northern Indian Ocean...
surpassed it in 2007.
Impact and aftermath
High swell up to 7 metres (23 ft) impacted the MV Strathmeigle and several drilling rigs shut down. By June 10, the system turned to the west-northwest. The tanker Texaco Plymouth experienced significant structural damage from the storm, and lost two lifeboats. The freighter Buxom Island experienced 139 km/h (86 mph) winds before sinking near 20N 63W, which took the lives of 23 of its crew.The military base in Masirah raised a Category 3 warning on the morning of June 12, which was soon upgraded to Category 2. Skies clouded over in the afternoon, and rain squalls moved across the island that evening. Hurricane-force winds struck during the morning hours of June 13, with sustained winds peaking at 167 km/h (104 mph) with gusts to 200 km/h (124 mph). The pressure fell to 956 mb, and Masirah remained within the eye for 40 minutes. Winds then increased out of the southwest towards 185 km/h (115 mph) which caused buildings to collapse and roof beams to be blown through the air. Every building at the base sustained damage, and virtually all homes in the nearby village were leveled. Rain totals were significant, with a total of 482.3 millimetres (19 in) falling 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) northeast of Salalah. One location reported 430.6 millimetres (17 in) in 24 hours. Floods washed away thousands of animals as well as lime and palm-tree plantations. Additionally, the winds downed thousands of trees across the region.
The cyclone was considered the worst disaster in Oman during the 20th century. Overall, the cyclone caused 105 deaths and 48 injuries, and 50,000 people were left homeless. The death toll is disputed, as another report indicated 110 deaths in Oman.