Karachi schools closed on Friday amid heavy rains and cyclone threat

Cyclone developing in Arabian Sea could hit Sindh coast by Friday morning, bringing heavy rains over the next 72 hours

All public and private schools in Karachi will remain closed on Friday, August 30, as a precautionary measure amid heavy rains and cyclone threat, Commissioner Karachi Syed Hasan Naqvi announced on Thursday.

According to a handout issued by the Karachi Commissioner’s Office on Tursday, the decision was made following advisories from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The PMD reported that a potential cyclone was developing in the north-eastern Arabian Sea, approximately 270 kilometres southeast of Karachi. The cyclone could hit the Sindh coast by Friday morning, bringing heavy rains over the next 72 hours.

The PMD stated that a deep depression over India’s Rann of Kutch region had been moving west-southwest over the past 12 hours. The system might reach the north-eastern Arabian Sea, potentially impacting areas including Karachi Division, Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Sajawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, and Dadu.

In response to the cyclone alert, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed local administration and relevant departments to remain vigilant and complete all necessary preparations to deal with any emergency situation. Karachi’s commissioner has also imposed a ban on fishing, swimming, bathing, diving, and wading in the sea or beaches under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to prevent any untoward incidents.

Currently, a wet spell is affecting Sindh, particularly its southern and central regions, as well as India’s Gujarat state. The Thar district received the highest rainfall in Sindh on Thursday, recording 347 millimetres across seven tehsils. Karachi recorded a cumulative 190mm of rain in the last 24 hours, Mirpurkhas 143mm, Hyderabad 116mm, and Badin 112mm, according to the PMD.

Heavy rains in the coastal areas along the Arabian Sea in Pakistan have led to significant flooding. In India’s Gujarat state, at least 28 people have died from rain-related incidents this week, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.