Gaining momentum: Cyclone 1,700km away from Karachi

There are five stages of cyclone intensity; the one near the south of Pakistan is in its first stage

KARACHI: A cyclone is developing in the south of Pakistan. It is in its initial stage and is almost 1,700 kilometres away from Karachi's coastal belt.

This was disclosed by the director of the tropical cyclone warning centre, Abdul Qayum Bhutto. "This is the peak season of sea roughness and the cyclone is in its first stage of intensity," he said, adding that the months of May and June are not only the period of monsoon every year but also that of the formation of tropical cyclones.



According to Bhutto, there are five stages of cyclone intensity and the one forming in the south of Pakistan is in its first stage. "It is almost 1,700 kilometres away from Karachi's coastal belt," he told The Express Tribune while talking about the cyclone.

Talking about wind pressure and cyclone alert, Bhutto said that alerts will be issued once the actual picture is clear. He said that there is a low pressure of winds towards the South zone and the situation will be clearer by Friday evening. "We will announce by Friday if its direction is towards Karachi and which other areas of the sea belt it is likely to hit," he added.

According to Bhutto, the first thing that the meteorological office will do after assessing the direction and speed of the cyclone is to give it a name and inform everyone about it. "Right now, the forming cyclone is far from Karachi," he said in a relaxed tone.

Regarding the possibility of a cyclone in Karachi's coastal region, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum founder Muhammad Ali Shah said he was not aware of any such happening. "The Met office has not issued any warning to us as yet," he told The Express Tribune. According to him, the meteorological office issues warnings at least two days before the onset of any such calamity. He added that to take any action they need to be given information about its possible striking direction. "We need to be informed first whether it will hit the Sindh coast or the Balochistan coast," he said.

Talking about sea roughness, he said that there is no unusual occurrence in the sea. "The roughness is as normal as it is in the June-July monsoon season."

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2015.