Oman weather: Wadi Dayqah, Wadi Imti dams overflowing due to rainfall

Muscat: The Wadi Dayqah and Wadi Imti dams have started overflowing and other several dams in Oman are being submerged by excessive water resulting from rainfall caused by the low depression over the Sultanate.
According to the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA), medium to heavy rains hit parts of Al Dakhiliyah, Al Batina North, Al Sharqiyah South and some parts of Muscat on Friday. The rain was accompanied by active winds and snow in some part of the Sultanate. Rainfall was reported in Izki, Samail, Amerat and many other areas in the northern parts of Oman, a weather enthusiast said, quoting residents.
“Moderate rain fell in Izki and in other areas. The small wadis (valleys) have started to overflow in Izki,” Bader Ali Al Baddaei, an administrator at www.rthmc.net, a local web-based forum that discusses weather in Oman, said. According to the National Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre at PACA, the Sultanate will be affected by unstable weather from Wednesday onwards.
However, Jason Nicholls, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather.com, said weather conditions will not be as severe as last week. PACA has advised the public to take precautions during the rain and avoid crossing wadis, as well as check the state of the sea before sailing.
During last week’s rain, the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance’s (PACDA’s) operations centre had received 332 rescue calls. PACDA data recorded 255 water rescue operations, 37 land rescue operations, 29 fire extinguishing operations, eight ambulance-related calls, and four search operations.
As for calls recorded based various governorates, Al Batinah North registered the biggest number, which resulted in 95 rescue operations, followed by Al Dhakhiliyah, which recorded 67 rescue operations. Muscat came in third with 51 rescue operations being conducted, followed by Al Buraimi, which recorded 43 reports. Al Sharqiyah North recorded 27 such incidents, Al Batinah South 26, Dhahira 23, while only one rescue operation was carried out by PACDA in Al Sharqiyah South. The death toll from the thundershowers and flash floods, which hit Oman last week, has climbed to eight after two more children were found dead.