Cyclone Phet takes aim at Oman, Pakistan on alert

Tropical Cyclone Phet roared toward the coast of Oman and was expected to make landfall late on Thursday at the earliest before barreling toward the oil-exporting Gulf Arab state's LNG facilities.

But Phet, a Category 4 storm with winds of over 130 mph, would weaken substantially before brushing Oman's sparsely populated southeast coastline, according to storm risk forecasts shown on website www.tropicalstormrisk.com.

"It will hit the land at the eastern region by first entering Masirah (Island) around 2200 (local time) tonight," Ahmed Al Harthy, a senior Omani meteorological official told Reuters. "The storm will be felt, though less severe, all the way to Muscat on Friday."

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• Cyclone Phet takes aim at Oman, Pakistan on alert
• Cyclone Phet approaching Pakistan’s coastal areas