Cyclone Luban forms in Arabian Sea off Oman

Forecasters say a tropical cyclone has formed in the Arabian Sea off Oman.

The India Meteorological Department said on Monday the storm was some 1,040 kilometers (645 miles) east-southeast of Salalah, Oman, moving around 20 kph (12.5 mph).

Forecasters warn it could develop into a severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting to 135 kph (83 mph). They still aren't sure where it will make landfall.

Forecasters named the storm Cyclone Luban, or "frankincense" in Arabic.

Oman offered the name to authorities, as the aromatic resin used for perfumes and incense is grown on trees in the sultanate.

“We are expecting the system to develop into a deep depression and further intensify into a tropical storm within the next 48 hours. According to the weather systems we are following, the system is heading west-northwest” a meteorologist at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation’s (PACA) MET directorate told local media on Sunday, anticipating turbulent weather patterns.

Cyclone Mekunu struck Salalah and neighboring Yemen in May, killing at least 30 people.

A tropical cyclone is called a hurricane or a typhoon in other parts of the world.