Brewing cyclone may hit Sindh today

PMD forecasts heavy rains over weekend; authorities take pre-emptive measures

KARACHI:

A potential cyclone was brewing in the north-eastern Arabia Sea, approximately 270 kilometres southeast of Karachi, on Thursday and might hit Sindh by Friday (today) morning, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said as it forecast heavy rains over the next 72 hours.

According to the PMD, a deep depression – an area of very low pressure – over India's Rann of Kutch region was slowly moving west-southwest over the past 12 hours. It added that the system could reach the north-eastern Arabian Sea along Sindh's coast.

"Environmental conditions, such as sea surface temperature and upper-level divergence, are conducive for this system to intensify into a tropical cyclone by tomorrow," the PMD said in its cyclone alert. "The initial trajectory suggests the cyclone could move towards the west-southwest.

The PMD said as per trajectory, the areas to be impacted by the inclement weather include Karachi division, Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Sajawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, and Dadu.

"These regions may experience heavy rains with thunderstorms until 31 August. Winds are expected to reach speeds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour, with the sea conditions remaining rough to very rough. Fishermen are advised to avoid venturing into the sea until 31 August," the PMD alert stated.

The PMD's Cyclone Warning Centre is closely monitoring the situation, and all relevant authorities are urged to stay informed through official advisories. If the cyclone is formed, it will be named "Asna," a name proposed by Pakistan, meaning "higher."

In the wake of the cyclone alert, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered the local administration and relevant departments to remain vigilant, and complete "all necessary preparations needed to deal with any emergency situation".

Also, the Karachi commissioner placed a ban on fishermen venturing into the sea, as well as swimming, bathing, diving, and wading in the sea" or beaches and coastal areas of Karachi division under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to "avoid any untoward incident".

Currently, a wet spell prevails over Sindh, particularly the southern and central parts of the province, as well as the neighbouring Indian state of Gujarat. It its wake, the Thar district received the highest amount of rainfall in Sindh on Thursday - 347 millimetres across seven tehsils - according to the PMD.

Among other districts, Karachi recorded a cumulative 190mm of rain in the last 24 hours, Mirpurkhas 143mm, while Hyderabad and Badin received 116mm and 112mm, respectively, according to the PMD data issued here.

At least 28 people have died this week from rain-related incidents in the Indian state. Because of the heavy rains battering the coastal areas along the Arabian Sea in Pakistan, and triggering floods in cities in India's Gujarat state forced thousands of people from their homes.

In Islamabad, meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an alert to the departments concerned after more rains were forecast in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan during the next 24 to 72 hours. It said the districts in Sindh might receive more than 100 mm of rain.

Heavy rain was also likely in Punjab and Balochistan, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the NDMA said, adding that flooding was expected in the hilly areas of Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Rajanpur.

"Flood situation is also expected in various hilly areas of Balochistan. There is a possibility of increase in the flow of local rivers," it said. "The NDMA has issued directives for ensuring availability of resources to ensure immediate response to possible emergencies."

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)