Tropical cyclone Phet in the Arabian Sea is showing signs of weakening and may cross the Oman coast tomorrow morning, the Indian weather office said today.

“Due to the proximity to the land surface, the system is interacting with land surface and shows sign of weakening,” the India Meteorological Department said in a statement.

Typically when cyclone hits land, it becomes further weak.

Phet will hit the coast as a weaker Category 1 storm and move inland as a tropical storm before re-emerging over the north Indian Ocean and barreling on toward Pakistan, Tropical Storm Risk website said.

The cyclone will steer east of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, used by ships carrying 17 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, 40 percent of all seaborne oil, and may disrupt shipping moving from the Gulf toward the Indian Ocean.

Phet initially had been forecast to become a Category 5 storm, the most powerful category with winds of over 156 mph.

IMD bulletin on Thursday afternoon

The very severe cyclonic storm, “PHET” over westcentral Arabian Sea remained practically stationary and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, 3rd June 2010 near latitude 18.50N and long. 59.50E, about 1400 km west of Mumbai, 1100 km southwest of Naliya (Kutch, Gujarat), 1050 km southwest of Karachi (Pakistan), 450 km south-southeast of Sur (Oman) and 220 km south-southeast of Masirah island (Oman).

Due to proximity to the land surface, the system is interacting with land surface and shows sign of weakening. Further, due to changing environmental flow pattern, the system would move slowly in a northwesterly/northerly direction for next 24 hours and cross Oman coast between latitude 200N and 210N by tomorrow the 4th June morning. It would then weaken gradually, recurve northeastwards and emerge into northwest Arabian Sea by 5th June and move towards Pakistan coast.

Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls would occur over Saurashtra & Kutch during next 48 hrs. Squally winds with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting 60 kmph would occur along and off Gujarat coast during same period. Sea condition will be rough to very rough along and off Gujarat coast and adjoining north Arabian Sea. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea off this coast.