One of the largest and driest deserts on Earth was completely transformed after tropical storm Mekunu swept through.
Rub’ al-Khali , the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert on the Arabian peninsula turned into an oasis of numerous lakes after Tropical Cyclone Mekunu made landfall in the region last month, a rare phenomenon that has never been seen before. occurred in the last 20 years, according to IFL Science. Image taken from the Landsat 8 satellite of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The desert of Oman is flooded after a storm. (Video: Twitter).
Tropical Cyclone Mekunu was strongest on May 25, causing Salalah, a city in Oman, to receive up to 27.8cm of rain in just 24 hours. Water stagnates in an unusual way due to the distribution of sand dunes in the desert. Desert winds create many trenches, forming countless sand dunes.
All satellite images use false colors to make it easier to distinguish different features, as well as soil types. However, the effect is dramatic when viewed from low Earth orbit.
Rub’ al-Khali desert after Typhoon Mekunu made landfall.
Rub’ al Khali in Arabic means “Empty Street”. The region spans 650,000 square kilometers through Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. This is one of the driest places on Earth.
The flood will help the area. “The land will need 30 days for the summer vegetation to sprout. People will have enough food for camels in the next two years,” said Ali Al-Hatish, who often travels through the desert.