Wreckage of a boat destroyed by Cyclone Mekunu on Yemen's Socotra Island washes ashore. Reuters
Wreckage of a boat destroyed by Cyclone Mekunu on Yemen's Socotra Island washes ashore. Reuters
Wreckage of a boat destroyed by Cyclone Mekunu on Yemen's Socotra Island washes ashore. Reuters
Wreckage of a boat destroyed by Cyclone Mekunu on Yemen's Socotra Island washes ashore. Reuters

UAE and India to develop early warning system for cyclones and tsunamis


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The UAE and India have agreed to develop an early warning system for cyclones, tsunamis and sand storms.

Under the agreement, the two countries will also integrate radar networks and exchange of satellite information.

Cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean can cause great destruction when they hit Oman's coast but have also previously been costly for the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The deal was signed on Sunday by the National Centre of Meteorology and the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences during an online meeting. It also covers sharing seismic network information, early warning of dust storms and exchanging of expertise in scientific innovation, research and training.

Abdulla Al Mandous, director of the NCM, praised the deal and said the foreign ministries of the UAE and India welcomed "this great step".

Monikumar Ramakrishnan, international affairs specialist at the NCM, said the agreement would improve disaster management.

"[It] will enhance the skills of tropical cyclone forecasting," he said.

"It will provide more information on how they form, how they change and when storms make landfall."

Topical cyclones are reasonably common in the Arabian Peninsula and have troubled the coastlines for centuries.

One of the deadliest recorded cyclones in recent years, Gonu, struck Oman in 2007 and killed about 80 people, including 10 passengers who went missing after a boat sank in Fujairah port.

Several other powerful storms have since hit, including Cyclone Mekunu in 2018 that killed more than 30 people in Oman.

These storms do not usually directly hit the UAE but can lead to surges, chiefly on the country's east coast.

Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 was the strongest in the Arabian Sea since the Category 5 Gonu ravaged the coast in 2007. Storm waters inundated towns on the UAE's east coast towns and even forced the closure of some schools.

The NCM and the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences will now advance the project and a pilot project is expected to begin in the next few months. 
Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons, meanwhile, are all tropical storms but are named differently depending on their location.

Hurricanes form over the North Atlantic and north-east Pacific; typhoons over the north-west Pacific; and cyclones over the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Cyclones only form over warm waters near the equator. When warm moist air from the ocean rises, cooler air rushes in to replace it which then also warms and rises.

This cycle creates huge storm clouds, which in turn start to rotate and become a cyclone.

Cyclone Kharr hits the UAE - in pictures

Defending champions

World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack

Results

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).

7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m

Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.

10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

ICC Academy, November 22-28

UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal

ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan 

UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman