Daily Times

KARACHI: A weather official has said that the depression in the Arabian Sea has been at a distance of 250 kilometres from Karachi. It has further intensified.

Director Pakistan Meteorological Department said that the weather conditions are conducive to further intensify the depression into a tropical cyclone.

“Current meteorological assessments indicate the trajectory of the cyclone towards Balochistan’s Makran coast,” the weather official said.

Widespread rain with moderate to heavy and very heavy falls with strong gusty winds are likely to occur in Karachi from this noon.

Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umarkot, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar will receive heavy rains. Tando Muhammad Khan, Matyari, Shaheed Banazirabad, Noshahro Feroze and Dadu districts could also receive heavy. Heavy rainfall will take place at isolated places in Larkana and Sukkur divisions.

The gusts of heavy winds are likely in Sindh and Balochistan, the weather official said.

Karachi could likely receive downpour in the night, director PMD said. Intermittent heavy to very heavy rainfall could also lash the city tomorrow, the weather official said.

Karachi is expected to receive 100 to 150mm rainfall today and tomorrow, the weather official added.

The remnants of Cyclone Gulab might intensify and turn into Cyclone Shaheen in the Arabian Sea tomorrow (Friday).

Tracing cyclones’ history in Pakistan, weather officials said the last one which directly hit Pakistan’s coast came in 2007. Whereas, the 2010 cyclone re-curved towards Gwadar after hitting Oman.

A cyclone in 1999 inundated large coastal areas of Thatta and Badin, causing over 700 deaths.