Two people died as their vehicle was carried away by flowing wadis while eight were rescued from stranded vehicles at Wadi Al Bathaa.

The authorities are requesting the public to stay away from wadis during the weekend.

Thursday saw two deaths and proved tragic as the vehicle of a husband and wife was stranded in Wadi Al Bathaa which later proved fatal. Two more vehicles were also stranded and about eight people were rescued by the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

The Wadi Al Bathaa in Jaalan Bani Bu Ali is considered to be one of the strongest wadis in Oman as it has other wadis also joining it.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue ranging between 30 to 70 mm. So an alert has been given for horizontal visibility due to dust rising during thundershowers with downdraft wind ranging between 15 to 40 km, hail and flash floods across the wadis.

The Oman Met Office has requested everyone to ensure safety by immediately moving away from low places and wadis and also not to attempt to swim in the wadis.

Do not risk crossing wadis in order to protect yourself and those with you in the vehicle.

Keep an eye on children and never allow them to approach wadis.

The sky of the Sultanate of Oman witnessed the phenomenon of a double rainbow on Thursday.

Oman Meteorology also explained that this phenomenon occurs when sunlight is reflected twice inside a drop of water, with the violet light reaching a person’s eye coming from the higher raindrops and the red light from the lower raindrops.

The continuation of sporadic rains of varying intensity is expected on Friday in parts of Muscat, South Al Batinah, North Al Batinah, North Al Sharqiyah and Al Dakhiliyah, extending over time towards South Al Sharqiyah, and scattered clouds of rain will form in parts of the Al Wusta and Dhofar coasts.

The expansion of cumulus clouds is also expected over the Hajar Mountains, and scattered thunderstorms accompanied by downward winds and hail in parts of Al Dakhiliyah Governorate (Al Jabal Al Akhdhar).

Yet Maqshan managed to touch 40 degrees Celsius and the lowest temperature recorded in Oman was 6.3 degrees Celsius in Jabal Shams.

Along the Oman Sea coast, winds are expected to be northeasterly light to moderate, while over rest of the governorates and Arabian Sea coast winds will be southerly to southwesterly light to moderate occasionally fresh over parts of the coastal areas of Arabian Sea. There will be northwesterly light to moderate over Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, Al Wusta and Dhofar.

Sea condition is expected to be light to moderate along the Arabian Sea coasts with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres. It will be slight along the rest of the coasts with maximum wave height of 1.0 metres.

Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected on Friday over most of the governorates with chance of clouds and isolated rain occasionally. There will be thundershowers associated with downdraft winds over governorates of South Al Sharqiyah, North Al Sharqiyah and over the parts of Muscat and Dhofar. There is a chance of low level clouds or fog patches at late night or early morning over parts of South Al Sharqiyah and Al Wusta governorates.

On Saturday, mainly clear skies are expected over most of the governorates with chance of clouds and isolated rain over governorates of South Al Sharqiyah, North Al Sharqiyah and over the parts of Dhofar.

Chance of low level clouds or fog patches continue at late night or early morning over parts of South Al Sharqiyah and Al Wusta governorates.

PICTURES BY KHALFAN AL RUZAIKI, ONA

@lakshmioman