The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued high alert on Thursday as a tropical cyclone in the Northeast Arabian Sea may usher in torrential rains and high velocity winds along the Sindh-Makran coast.
According to the PMD, the tropical cyclone is 340 kilometers away from Karachi.
The well-marked low-pressure area over south Gujarat, India, after moving over Northeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a “depression and now lies around latitude 22.5°N and longitude 69.4°E, at a distance of about 340 kilometers in east-southeast direction of Karachi”.
According to a PMD notification: “The system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and move northwestwards.”
Under the influence of this weather system, “widespread rain-wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy and very heavy falls, extremely heavy at times, accompanied with squally winds” are likely in Sindh.
The cities likely to get influenced include Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Thaparker, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nosheroferoz, Tando Muhammad Khan (TMK), Tando Allayar (TAY), Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Ghotki from today (September 30) afternoon till late evening to Saturday (October 2), warned the notification.
It said that scattered heavy and very heavy falls are likely to occur in Gwadar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Khuzdar, Kalat and Panjgur districts of Balochistan from today (September 30) to Sunday (October 3).
The Met Office warned that sea conditions would remain very rough with high surge at times till October 3.
“Fishermen are advised not to venture in the sea till October 3,” the notification read.
The department also underlined that torrential rains may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Shaeed Benazirabad, Lasbela, Sonmiani, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Turbat and Jiwani.
“Windstorms may cause damage to vulnerable structures,” it warned.
Keeping in view the weather conditions all concerned authorities are directed to remain “high alert” during the period.
The Met Office said that the PMD Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, Karachi, is closely monitoring the system.
