The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported on Friday that a developing cyclone near the Rann of Kutch in India, located about 200km east/southeast of Karachi, is expected to strengthen into a Cyclonic Storm (CS) later this afternoon or evening.
According to the Met department, the deep depression, a very strong low-pressure system over Rann of Kutch, India, and adjacent areas, has moved slowly west-southwestward over the past 12 hours. It is currently situated at approximately Latitude 23.5 N & Longitude 68.4 E, around 200km from Karachi.
The system is predicted to continue its west-southwestward movement into the northeast Arabian Sea along the Sindh coast, further intensifying into a Cyclonic Storm (CS) by this afternoon or evening.
As a result, widespread rain and wind-thunderstorms are expected in Karachi, with scattered heavy to very heavy, and isolated extremely heavy, rainfall in areas including Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu, and Shaheed Benazirabad districts until August 31.
Similar weather conditions with widespread rain and wind-thunderstorms, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, are also anticipated in Hub, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, and Gwadar districts from August 30 to September 1, with occasional breaks.
The PMD warned that heavy rains may lead to waterlogging and flooding in low-lying areas along the Sindh-Makran coast. Sea conditions are expected to remain rough to very rough, with squally winds of 50-60 km/h, gusting up to 70 km/h. The weather department advised fishermen in Sindh to avoid venturing into the sea until August 31, and those in Balochistan until September 1.
The PMD’s cyclone warning center in Karachi is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as needed, according to the press release.
