Cyclone Mekunu hit the Yemeni island of Socotra Wednesday night, causing severe flooding and damage to houses Six boats lost, at least 11 people missing as cyclone Mekunu heads towards Oman DUBAI: Oman’s popular tourist destination Salalah could be pounded by winds of up to 165 kilometers per hour if Cyclone Mekunu continues on its current path, a weather expert has told Arab News. The cyclone – which has already pummeled Yemen’s UNESCO-protected Socotra island – is currently registered as a category 1 cyclone with winds reaching speeds of up to 125kph. But Mohamad Al-Ebri, Director of Meteology at the UAE weather center warned that this could get much worse. “Within the coming 12 hours we are expecting the cyclone could be upgraded to a category 2 with wind speeds of 165kph.” He said that if the cyclone continues on its current path, it could reach Salalah in southern Oman on Saturday morning. “If this happens and the cyclone is still a category 2, then Salalah could be hit by the full force of the storm,” Al-Ebri explained. Salalah International Airport will close for a duration of 24 hours from midnight on Thursday due to the cyclone. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes after the Cyclone hit the Yemeni island of Socotra on Wednesday night, causing severe flooding and damage to houses, officials said. There were also reports of six boats which sank – four at sea and two in the port – as the cyclone passed. There are at least 17 people missing, with conflicting reports of fatalities. Another official said 150 families had been evacuated and moved to government facilities after downpours caused houses and streets to flood, trapping people in their homes. Some residents carrying children tried to escape through the flooded streets, an AFP correspondent said. Mohammed Saeed Hameed Assistant of the Under Secretary of the National Center of Meteorology of Yemen (NCMY), told Arab News there had been a number of warnings sent out in the last week.But he said not everyone had been aware of the cyclone as it approached. “We have notified people, however the problem is the information does not always reach everyone, like those who were out at sea…. Two boats have sunk and 11 people are missing,” Hameed told Arab News. “There is a lot of false information being shared on social media,” Hameed warned. “People must get the correct information from officials such as ourselves.” He said already the northeast and east sections of Socotra was the worst affected. He said they expected the storm to reach the coastal cities of Yemen in Mahrah, Hadramaut and then on towards Salalah. “We urge local officials in coastal towns to warn people of the cyclone. They must alert schools, mosques, hospitals and local community centers.” Oman prepares for the worst, hopes for the best In neighboring Oman, authorities announced through the official news agency they were taking “necessary precautions” in case the cyclone hits the Gulf sultanate. Rainfall had already been reported on Thursday afternoon in the province of Dhofar, southern Oman. FASTFACTS Rare, but it"s happened before In June 2016, a cyclone codenamed ‘02A’ developed in the Arabian Sea with winds reaching speeds of up to 35 knots – that’s 62 kilometers per hour. It was initially feared to hit Oman. The cyclone, which is rare in the region, eventually weakened to a tropical depression with maximum wind speeds dropping to 30 knots before dissipating in the Arabian Sea. James Hewitson, general manager of the five-star hotel Al-Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, told Arab News they were expecting the situation to worsen over the coming days. “The wind has picked up since this morning.” He said the hotel staff were preparing for the worst outcome, ensuring there was enough fuel to power the generators, should the main electricity supply be cut. “We have taken all precautions in terms of securing all areas of the building to keep our guests safe,” Hewitson explained. He said the hotel was well stocked for food and water and that at least one of the restaurants would remain open. “We have about 50 guests staying with us at the moment,” Hewitson told Arab News. “Some are leaving tonight, some have chosen to leave and we are offering to compensate them with our sister hotels across Oman” “At the end of today I expect I will have something between 40 to 50 guests staying… We have 250 staff members.” He explained that representatives from the Ministry of Tourism had visited in the morning. “We have already taken down our outdoors furniture, and anything that is not bolted down has been put away so that the winds don’t blow them into anyone and hurt people like glass tables or umbrellas.” And he added that Muscat civil defense had sent a team to support in Salalah. “We have taken all precautions in terms of securing all areas of the building to keep our guests safe.” People were advised to avoid going out to sea following warnings off Oman’s southern and south coast of rough conditions with waves reaching heights of between five to eight meters. Speaking to Arab News from Salalah, event organizer Abdulaziz Ahmed Yousuf Al-Amri said people were preparing for the worst. “There are some parts of Salalah that have heavy rain… The weather is okay at the moment - but it feels like this is the calm before the storm.” “We are praying that it will not be bad and will pass without any major impact.” “But everyone is worried about what might happen, so they are getting ready,” Al-Amri added.“They are stocking up on water and food, just in case something bad does happen… They are putting gas in their cars.” (Additional reporting by Peter Harrison, Rommer M. Balaba and AFP)