What were the impacts of Cyclone Gonu in the Arabian Sea?

Cyclone Gonu was an exceptionally powerful tropical cyclone that struck Oman and Iran in June 2007, causing severe devastation. It resulted in dozens of fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage, primarily driven by heavy rainfall and flooding. As the strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, it stands as Oman's worst natural disaster.

What we know

• Cyclone Gonu caused 50 deaths and about $4.2 billion in damage in Oman, where it was considered the nation's worst natural disaster. [2, 4]
• In Iran, the cyclone caused 28 deaths and $216 million in damage. [2]
• Gonu dropped heavy rainfall near the eastern coastline of Oman, reaching up to 610 mm, which caused flooding and heavy damage. [2]
• Cyclone Gonu made landfall in southern Iran, marking the first cyclonic landfall in that country since 1898. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did Cyclone Gonu form and intensify?
• the bigger pictureWhat other tropical cyclones have affected the Arabian Peninsula?
• a case in pointWhat happened when Cyclone Gonu made landfall in Oman?
• how we knowHow active is the North Indian Ocean cyclone basin?
• compared withHow does Cyclone Gonu compare to the 1999 Odisha cyclone?
• an unexpected connectionWhy did a North Indian Ocean storm strike southern Iran for the first time in over a century?Intense tropical cyclones are extremely rare in the Arabian Sea, making Gonu's track into southern Iran an unprecedented event since 1898.

Sources

• [1]Cyclone Gonu (Wikidata Q245530) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Cyclone Gonu · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of Arabian Peninsula tropical cyclones · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]1999 Odisha cyclone · CC BY-SA 4.0