Flood warning as cyclone nears Saudi Arabia

Staff members remove the rain water covered a corridor at a hotel in Salalah, Oman, on Friday, May 25, 2018. (AP)

Men walk on a road flooded after heavy rain and strong winds caused damage in Hadibu as Cyclone Mekunu pounded the Yemeni island of Socotra, on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (AP)

This satellite image provided by the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center shows Cyclone Mekunu over the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea as it heads for the coast of Oman on Thursday morning at 12:00 p.m. GMT on May 24, 2018. (AP)

• Latest observations show that the centre of the cyclone hit the coast of Dhofar province
• Thousands of residents near the coastal areas in the two provinces have been evacuated

JEDDAH: Torrential rain could cause flash flooding in parts of Saudi Arabia as tropical cyclone Mekunu makes landfall over neighboring Oman early on Saturday.
The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment Protection said the cyclone in the Arabian Sea was moving north to northwest with wind speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour at its center.
Forecasters said the cyclone would turn into a tropical storm, with heavy rain predicted for parts of the Kingdom from Saturday until next Tuesday.
The authority will issue daily weather reports and alerts via the early warning system on its website and social media outlets.