Cyclonic Storm 'Asna,' located over the northeast Arabian Sea near the Sindh coast, has shifted further westward and is currently approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Karachi, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)'s cyclone warning center in Karachi.
In its 7th advisory, PMD reported that the cyclone has continued its westward movement over the past nine hours, now positioned at around Latitude 23.6 N and Longitude 65.7 E. This places it roughly 200 kilometers southwest of Karachi, 220 kilometers south-southeast of Ormara, and 380 kilometers southeast of Gwadar. The storm is expected to continue its trajectory west-southwestwards.
Previously, the cyclone was reported to be about 120 kilometers south of Karachi on Friday night, according to an earlier alert.
As the cyclone progresses, rain and thundershowers with some heavy downpours, accompanied by squally winds reaching speeds of 60-70 km/hour and gusts up to 80 km/hour, are anticipated in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Jamshoro, and Dadu districts in Sindh this evening and tonight. Similar conditions are expected in Hub, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, and Gwadar districts in Balochistan until tomorrow night.
Heavy rainfall could lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas along the Makran coast.
Sea conditions are forecasted to remain rough to very rough, with squally winds of 60-70 km/hour and gusts up to 80 km/hour. Fishermen in Sindh are advised to avoid venturing out to sea today (Saturday), while those in Balochistan are advised to stay ashore until tomorrow (Sunday).
Authorities have been urged to stay informed through PMD updates.
Strong cyclonic winds at Karachi's South Asia Port Terminal, locally known as China Port, caused several empty containers to topple. Despite the incident, no injuries or financial losses were reported, and port operations were not disrupted, according to port sources.
