Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Hikaa was a
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
that struck eastern
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
in September 2019. The third
named storm
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
of the
2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the most active North Indian Ocean cyclone season on record, in terms of cyclonic storms, however the 1992 season was more active according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The season featured 12 ...
, Hikaa formed on September 22 west of India in the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
. The storm reached peak intensity on September 24, with
maximum sustained winds
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
estimated over . Later that day, the storm made landfall in eastern Oman south of
Duqm
Duqm ( ar, ٱلدُّقْم, Ad-Duqm) is a port town on the Arabian Sea in central-eastern Oman. As of 2010, the population was 11,200.
History
Duqm was a small fishing settlement of the Janubah tribe on the coast of southern Oman, when a party ...
, and quickly dissipated over the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
Meteorological history
An area of
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
, or thunderstorms, persisted along the west coast of India on September 19. A distinct
low-pressure area developed a day later off the coast of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
.
By September 21, a circulation was consolidating within the system, located east of the heaviest convection. The system moved slowly westward across the Arabian Sea, steered by a
ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
to north. Warm
water temperatures favored further development, despite moderate
wind shear. Early on September 22, the
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. IMD is headquarter ...
(IMD) designated the system as a depression, and soon upgraded it to a deep depression.
Late on September 22, the American-based
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC) initiated advisories on the system, designating it Tropical Cyclone 03A. At the time, the storm had a compact area of thunderstorms, supported by
outflow
Outflow may refer to:
*Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy
*Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star
*Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system
* Outflow ...
from the south. Due to decreasing wind shear and warm, moist air, the system quickly intensified on September 23, prompting the IMD to upgrade the system to Cyclonic Storm Hikaa; later that day the agency upgraded the storm further to a severe cyclonic storm.
During the strengthening phase, an
eye feature formed in the center of the convection, indicative of strengthening.
Considering the storm a "midget tropical cyclone", the JTWC upgraded Hikaa to the equivalent of hurricane status late on September 23, while the storm was approaching eastern Oman.
The IMD followed suit, upgrading Hikaa to a very severe cyclonic storm on September 24, estimating peak winds of .
Around the same time, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of , based in part on the 26 km (16 mi) eye in the center of the convection.
As Hikaa was nearing land, the eye deteriorated, and the JTWC assessed that the storm weakened. The IMD meanwhile assessed that the cyclone maintained its peak intensity. Around 14:00 UTC on September 24, Hikaa made
landfall in eastern Oman just north of
Duqm
Duqm ( ar, ٱلدُّقْم, Ad-Duqm) is a port town on the Arabian Sea in central-eastern Oman. As of 2010, the population was 11,200.
History
Duqm was a small fishing settlement of the Janubah tribe on the coast of southern Oman, when a party ...
, becoming the first very severe cyclonic storm on record to strike the country in September. Before Hikaa, only two depressions had struck Oman in the month of September, in 1929 and 1979.
The storm quickly weakened over land, as dry air and land interaction diminished the convection. Early on September 25, the IMD downgraded Hikaa to a deep depression, and later to a low-pressure area, by which time the storm was near the border of Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Preparations and impact
While Hikaa was first forming, the IMD warned fishermen of the potential of high waves.
Officials in Oman advised residents to prepare for the storm and to avoid low-lying areas. In advance of the storm, all schools were closed in
Al Wusta and
South Sharqiyah governorates.
Ferry service to the offshore
Masirah Island
Masirah Island ( ar, جَزِيْرَة مَصِيْرَة, Jazīrat Maṣīrah), also referred to as Mazeira Island or ''Wilāyat Maṣīrah'' ( ar, وِلَايَة مَصِيْرَة), is an island off the east coast of mainland Oman in the ...
was canceled. About 750 people evacuated to nine shelters in Al Wusta Governorate, where Hikaa moved ashore.
In Duqm near where Hikaa struck Oman, the airport recorded sustained winds of 96 km/h (60 mph), with gusts to 124 km/h (77 mph).
Hikaa dropped heavy rainfall as it struck eastern Oman, reaching in some locations.
The storm also produced waves.
A deep-sea fishing boat with a crew of 11 capsized off of Masirah Island during the storm; there were five confirmed fatalities from the shipwreck, and one person was rescued.
On the Omani mainland, Hikaa flooded roads and
wadi
Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...
s – typically dry riverbeds. In
Haima, six people required rescue when they were trapped on a bus in floodwaters.
Aon
Aon or AON may refer to:
* Aon (mythology), son of Poseidon in Greek mythology
* ''Aon'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Erebidae
* Aon (trigraph), a Latin trigraph
* "Aon", a composition by jazz pianist Harold Mabern, 1968
Business an ...
estimated the damage total in the "millions", based on hundreds of properties reporting damage.
See also
*
List of Arabian Peninsula tropical cyclones
The Arabian Peninsula is a peninsula between the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. There are 64 known tropical cyclones that affected the peninsula, primarily Yemen and Oman. For convenience, storms are included that affected th ...
*
1977 Oman cyclone
The 1977 Oman cyclone was the deadliest tropical cyclone on record to strike Oman. The storm formed off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea, and curved westward to reach peak winds of . The storm struck Masirah Island and later southern Om ...
– deadly tropical storm that took a similar track across the Arabian Sea
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikaa
2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
Very severe cyclonic storms
Tropical cyclones in Oman