Cyclone: coastal areas put on high alert

Coastal areas are on alert after the Pakistan Meteorological Department provincial government warned that a cyclonic storm over the Arabian sea would intensify over the next 24 hours.

Cyclone Biparjoy was estimated to be roughly 900 kilometres due south of Karachi on Saturday as the storm - categorised as very severe - continued on a north/north-eastward track.

Authorities have told fishing communities to halt operations for the next five days ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy which is categorised as a "very severe storm".

"The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) “ BIPARJOY” over east-central Arabian Sea maintaining its intensity further tracked north-northeastward during past 12 hours and now lies near Latitude 16.7°N & Longitude 66.4°E at a distance of about 910km south of Karachi, 890km south of Thatta and 990km southeast of Ormara,” the PMD said.

Read Sindh, Balochistan on alert as ferocious cyclone nears

While authorities are unsure of the cyclone's track in the coming days, the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan have been put on alert.

The weather service cautioned that due to a shift in upper-level steering winds, there is uncertainty in global forecast models where some are predicting landfall around the Markan-north Oman coast while others indicate its path towards the Sindh-Indian Gujarat coastline.

"Given this uncertainty, the system is predicted to keep tracking further north/northeastward during next 18-24 hours and then slightly recurve to North-northwest,” it added.

The PMD advisory further warned that due to the north-northeast track of Biparjoy, "rain-thunderstorm with some heavy falls and squally winds are expected in the Sindh-Makran coast from June 13 evening/night onwards".

Meanwhile, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) released crucial safety guidelines in response to the anticipated impact of the cyclone on the Southeast Arabian Sea. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring the well-being of ships and port facilities during adverse weather conditions.