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Private: Cyclone Gonu slams Mideast oil region

06-06-2007 - Earth

(June 6, 2007) Cyclone Gonu roared toward the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s major transport artery for Persian Gulf oil. The storm hit Oman on Wednesday. Oman evacuated tens of thousands of people and closed the major port of Sohar.

The storm peaked to a maximum-force Category Five hurricane on Tuesday, but has been downgraded to a Category One, with a maximum sustained wind speed of about 92 mph, the U.S. military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.

Reuters “reported”:http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=886912007&format=print that the center of the storm made landfall in Oman around midnight and was heading northwest to Muscat, bringing torrential rains, strong winds and high waves. The cyclone was expected to dissipate on Thursday

Oil prices rose amid forecasts that the strongest storm to hit the Arabian Peninsula in 60 years was barreling toward Iran, a major oil producer, and the oil-rich Persian Gulf, “CNN reported”:http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/06/06/cyclone.ap/index.html.

Landfall is expected in southeastern Iran late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to “AccuWeather.com”:http://www.AccuWeather.com meteorologist Donn Washburn.

Omani Interior Minister Saud bin Ibrahim Albousaidi instructed coastal residents to leave their houses and seek shelter on hilltops.

Ships are changing their routes to avoid the storm. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicted rough seas in the Straits of Hormuz, the transport route for two-fifths of the world’s oil.

“The entire area is unsafe. Vessels that were bound to call here say they are diverting because of the storm,” according to Suresh Nair of the Gulf Agency Co. shipping firm.”Some are still going through the strait.”

Written by Eleanor Imster

3 Responses to “Private: Cyclone Gonu slams Mideast oil region”

  1. 2wicky says:
    June 6, 2007 at 11:33 am

    Wow, crazy! I wonder how this’ll affect us at the pump…

    Reply
  2. tanner says:
    June 6, 2007 at 12:24 pm

    I’m going to fill up now…

    Reply
  3. Erika says:
    June 7, 2007 at 12:10 am

    Me too, that is if the price hasn’t already increased… it always happens so suddenly.

    Reply

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