KARACHI (Republic policy) – Authorities in Sindh are evacuating residents of the country’s coastline and removing moveable structures ahead of “cyclone Biparjoy” which is hardly 470 kilometres away from Karachi.
Triggered by the cyclone, torrential rains are expected anytime in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh.
On Monday, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that 32,466 people in the districts of Sujawal, Badin, and Thatta, as well as residents of around 70 buildings in Karachi, were vulnerable to the cyclonic storm.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in an official statement, states that the tropical cyclone has intensified into an ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm’ – Category 3, with a sustained wind speed of approximately 161 to 180 km per hour and gusts up to 200 km per hour. Its current location is roughly 470 km south of Karachi and 460 km south of Thatta.
The cyclone is expected to maintain a northward trajectory till tomorrow and then recurve Eastward towards Keti Bandar and Indian Gujarat Coastline as a very severe cyclonic storm.
The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) over the northeast Arabian Sea moved further north-northwestward during the last 12 hours, weakened into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) and now lies near Latitude 20.7°N & Longitude 67.1°E at a distance of about 470km south of Karachi, 460km south of Thatta.
Maximum sustained surface winds are 140-150 Km/hour, gusts 170 Km/hour around the system centre, and sea conditions are phenomenal around the system centre with a maximum wave height of 30 feet. The favourable environmental conditions (sea surface temperature of 29-31°C, low vertical wind shear & upper-level divergence) support sustaining its strength through the forecast period.
Under the existing upper-level steering winds, the VSCS “BIPARJOY” is most likely to track further Northward until the 14 June morning, then recurve Northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh) and Indian Gujarat coast on the 15 June afternoon/evening as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) with packing winds of 100-120Km/hour. PMD’s cyclone warning centre, Karachi, continuously monitors the system and will issue updates accordingly.
The areas likely to be affected by the cyclone include Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Ormara, Tando Allah Yar Khan and Tando Mohammad Khan.
In its update on its Twitter handle, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) says the cyclone’s movement is being monitored continuously to face possible danger and tackle its effects.
