Powerful cyclone churns in Arabian Sea toward Oman, Yemen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A powerful cyclone in the Arabian Sea is churning toward the coasts of Oman and Yemen, where forecasters anticipate it will make landfall on Saturday.

Forecasters at India's Meteorological Department said Wednesday that Cyclone Mekunu will intensify into what they described as a "very severe cyclonic storm."

They say the cyclone is now some 670 kilometers (415 miles) off the coast of Salalah, a southern Omani port city near the sultanate's border with Yemen.

Forecasters expect the storm will reach the coast on Saturday morning, with winds gusting as high as 180 kph (112 mph).

Authorities in Oman say they are prepared for the storm to make landfall, warning it could cause flooding and damage to homes.

Neighboring Yemen remains locked in a yearslong war.