Cyclone to make landfall at Keti Bandar n PM directs relocation of over 50,000 people from coastal areas n Sherry Rehman assures public safety, urges precautionary measures n Pak Navy actively carrying out rescue, relief operations in Creeks area n CAA says Karachi airport not closed n Hawksbay cordoned off
n UN says will help Pakistan, India in dealing with impacts of cyclone.
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD - Cyclone Biparjoy was expected to make landfall today evening between Keti Bandar in Sindh and Kutch in Indian Gujarat as it moved closer to Pakistan’s coast and was at a distance of about 310km from Karachi on Wednesday night after it made a turn northeastward, staying on its projected path.
The latest alert, issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department around 9:30pm on Wednesday night, said the cyclone was at a distance of about 310km south of Karachi, 300km south-southwest of Thatta and 240km south-southwest of Keti Bandar.
“Maximum sustained surface winds are 150-160km/hour, gusts 180km/hour around the system centre and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system centre with maximum wave height [of] 30 feet,” the alert said.
It added that under the existing upper-level steering winds, the “very severe cyclonic storm” was likely to keep tracking north-northeastward and was expected cross between Keti Bandar and the Indian Gujarat coast in the evening on June 15, packing winds of 100-120km/h.
It further said that widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm-rain and some very heavy/ extremely heavy falls were likely in Sindh’s Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts during June 14-17. These areas could also experience squally winds blowing at 80-100km/hour. Likewise, dust/thunderstorm-rain with few heavy falls and squally winds of 60-80km/hour are likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts from June 14-16.
Balochistan’s Hub and Lasbela districts could also witness dust/thunderstorm-rain and isolated heavy falls during this time, the forecast said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to ensure relocation of over 50,000 people from the coastal areas to safer locations as part of the preparedness to deal with the Biparjoy cyclone.
The prime minister, in a tweet, said all relevant organisations were ensuring the evacuation of people amid the risks of cyclone's