That sounds about right.  I don't know much history of cyclones in the Pacific or the Indian, but this storm is certainly no Katrina or Hugo or Andrew.  (If this were on par with Katrina, the oil markets would be going nuts.)  That's not to say that we won't be talking about damage.  It's a hurricane.  Hurricanes, even when weak, produce considerable damage.  But storms of this sort are quite common where I'm from.  Floridians, as I'm sure some here at EuroTrib have heard, actually throw parties during storms like this.  Hell, I've been in a car during a storm like this.

The flooding, especially combined with the electricity, is the real danger.  That's where people often get killed during hurricanes.  They get electrocuted, or they drive off the road (because they can't see it) and get trapped in their cars.  My understanding is that Oman and Iran have their first-responders and militaries ready, and have evacuated the truly vulnerable areas (barrier islands and so on).  And my sense is that they'll be able to handle it.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Might this be a misunderstanding of measurements.

Perhaps they meant 40 cm?

That would be about 15 inches.

God know that the English system confounds communication with the rest of the world.  And the Brits only complicate it.  I enjoyed having a conversation with a friend who talked about some big guy they knew that must have been 15 stone.  Now there's a measure that no one but our British friends (and the Irish) understand.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg