KARACHI – The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued an alert for torrential rain and gusty winds in Sindh as the tropical cyclone is 340km away from the Sindh capital.
The recent alert issued by the Met Office stated that a previously well-marked low pressure has intensified into a depression after moving over the northeast Arabian Sea. It further added that “the system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and move northwestwards”.
Tropical depression is entering Pakistani territorial waters and appears to be developing an eye, indicating further intensification. This is the first time since 2010, a tropical depression has entered this close to Pakistan's coastline. #Karachi #CycloneShaheen pic.twitter.com/oN4RJ3UuCI
— Pakistan Weather Portal (PWP) (@PWP_Weather) September 30, 2021
Heavy rainfalls at times, accompanied by gusty winds are likely in the southeastern part of Pakistan, as the system is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours.
The well-marked low-pressure area over south Gujarat, India after moving over the Northeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a “depression and now lies around latitude 22.5°N and longitude 69.4°E, at a distance of about 340 km in east-southeast direction of Karachi.”
Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Thaparker, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nausheroferoz, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, and Ghotki districts will be affected under the new system till Saturday.
Meanwhile, Khuzdar, Gwadar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Kalat, and Panjgur districts of Balochistan will also get rainfall from Thursday to Sunday.
Officials in Karachi are closely monitoring the system while the provincial authorities are on high alert to avoid ill-fated incidents.
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The airlines have also rescheduled flights that were to take off today from the provincial capital as the Met Office was alarmed about the impending storm. Reports stated that Sukkur-bound PK 594, a Lahore-bound PK 304, and a Quetta-bound PK 310 were canceled today, among other flights from other airlines.