MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has issued an advisory to port administrations, maritime transport companies, shipowners, marine units, fishermen, and seafarers to take utmost caution and urged them to avoid going to sea.

“Due to the possibility of the coasts of Dhofar and Al Wusta Governorates being affected by a tropical condition in the Arabian Sea,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the National Committee for Emergency Management on Friday said it is closely monitoring the developments of the tropical depression and coordinating with the sub-committees and concerned entities to elevate preparedness levels to mitigate the impacts on the governorates of Dhofar and Al-Wusta.

On Friday morning, the latest satellite images and analyses from the National Center for Early Warning of Multiple Hazards indicated the development of the low pressure area in the Arabian Sea.

“It has evolved to a tropical depression, now located at approximately 9.3 degrees North latitude and 62.0 degrees East longitude. It is about 1100 kilometers away from the coasts of Oman,” the statement from Oman Met said.

“The wind speed around the center ranges from 20 to 27 knots, and the nearest rainy cloud mass is located about 900 kilometers away in the region of Sadah, Oman,” Oman Met said.

“The forecasts suggest that this tropical depression will continue to move west-northwestward towards the coasts of Dhofar Governorate in Oman and the Republic of Yemen. It is expected to intensify into a deep tropical depression within the next 24 hours and could potentially develop into a tropical storm within the next 48 hours,” the statement added.

“The direct impact is expected to begin on Dhofar and AL Wusta on Sunday, October 22. There is a possibility that the center of the system may pass between midnight Monday and Tuesday morning between Dhofar Governorate and Yemen’s Al-Mahra Governorate,” the statement added.