Oman urges residents to evacuate as tropical storm Shaheen strengthens

(Reuters) - Authorities in Oman urged thousands of residents in coastal areas to leave their homes and head to emergency shelters on Saturday as the Gulf state braced for tropical storm Shaheen to intensify into a category 1 tropical cyclone.

The Omani National Committee for Emergency Management called for the evacuations in the northern states of Barka and Saham and coastal areas including parts of the capital, Muscat, where Shaheen is forecast to strike on Sunday, bringing high winds and heavy rain.