Cyclone Tej approaches eastern coast of South Yemen

The Early Warning Center for Disasters and Climate Hazards in Hadramout Governorate in South Yemen has issued a tropical storm warning to the Al-Mahra and Hadramout governorates and the strategic Socotra Archipelago in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Today, at 10 A.M. Aden Time, the center released a statement saying, “the latest forecast data indicates the development of tropical conditions in the central-western Arabian Sea into a cyclonic storm with central wind gusts ranging from 55 to 63 knots.”

“The storm is 850 kilometers away from the nearest point of the coast of our country’s eastern governorates and 460 kilometers from Socotra Archipelago, moving toward the northwest of the Arabian Sea within the next 72 hours,” the statement added.

The statement also declared that the tropical storm will "deepen into a Category 1 tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours."

The center asked citizens of the governorates who are expected to be affected by the storm to stay away from flood paths, valleys, and coasts, and to not embark on any sea trips.

Hadramout Coast Guard Forces said: “We expect the cyclonic storm to move along the Socotra Archipelago and the eastern entrance to the Gulf of Aden from Sunday morning to Monday morning, with direct and indirect impacts on Al-Mahra Governorate and parts of eastern Hadramout Governorate from Monday to Wednesday evening.”

The Governor of Hadramout directed local agencies and authorities in the governorate to be prepared to confront any unexpected repercussions of the cyclone.

Climate and weather website Arabiaweather reports that the storm has been officially named “Tej” in accordance with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) table for naming Arabian Sea storms. The name, designated by India, signifies rapid movement.

Tej is the third storm of the North Indian Ocean 2023 cyclone season to be allocated a name, according to storm-monitoring website The Watchers. They also report that as per data released by the US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, Tej will intensify to reach peak speeds of 205 km/h (125 mph) by 9 P.M. Aden Time tomorrow (Sunday, 6 P.M. GMT).

Pictures obtained today (Saturday) by South24 Center from a journalist in the Socotra Archipelago showed the formation of torrential rain and thickening clouds on the mainland.

The education offices in Al-Mahra and Socotra announced today, the suspension of schools until further notice to protect students from the repercussions of the storm.

In recent years, natural disasters have struck the governorates of Al-Mahra, Hadramout, Socotra, and Aden, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries and significant damage to infrastructure