上週襲捲阿曼和伊朗的颶風「古努」,在伊朗官方媒體9日報導又有9人罹難的消息後,因此次暴風雨而不幸喪生的人數已增加為70人。這樣的災情對這個極為乾燥的地區來說是相當罕見的,同時各界也開始擔憂,供應全球1/4油量的中東石油出口活動因而中斷。
古努颶風是波斯灣地區自1945年以來遭遇過最強大的熱帶風暴,造成阿曼至少30人死亡,伊朗40人罹難。當搜救人員開始進入因洪水而被隔絕的偏遠地區後,死亡人數預計將會再次增加。
透過衛星的觀測,古努颶風在6月4日向阿曼東北岸移動,而該地區最為人所知的就是炎熱的沙漠氣候狀況。
暴風形態緊接著發展成危險的4級颶風,並如同氣象預測所說的侵襲阿曼東北岸和波斯灣海岸線,在7日增強為5級颶風。
由於擔憂石油出口中斷,7日原油價格上升到每桶71塊美金,在石油開採設備不受颶風影響的情況下,上週末原油價格已回穩到每桶65塊美金,減緩各界對石油供應的憂心狀況。
The death toll from Cyclone Gonu rose to 70 on Saturday when Iranian state media reported nine new deaths from the storm that swept across Oman and Iran last week. A rarity in this arid part of the world, the storm raised fears of a disruption to oil exports from the Middle East, which pumps over a quarter of the world's oil.
The strongest tropical storm recorded in the Gulf region since 1945, the cyclone left at least 30 people dead in Oman, while 40 people lost their lives in Iran. The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue workers reach remote areas isolated by flooding.
Cyclone Gonu was first observed by satellite on June 4 approaching the northeastern shore of Oman, a region better known for hot desert conditions.
The storm then had reached a dangerous Category 4 status, and was forecast to graze Oman’s northeastern shore, following the coastline of the Gulf of Oman. Gonu peaked as a maximum force Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday.
On fears of a disruption to oil exports, crude oil prices rose to around $71 a barrel on Thursday. But prices stabilized near $65 a barrel on news over the weekend that Cyclone Gonu had spared major oil installations, easing supply worries.
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