Pakistan is bracing itself to face tropical Cyclone Tauktae as the country’s meteorological department predicted powerful winds and heavy rainfall in parts of Sindh province between Monday (17) and Thursday (20).
The weatherman said the cyclone centred at a distance of about 1,460km south-southeast of the port city of Karachi is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and move in the north-northwest direction and reach India’s Gujarat by Tuesday (18) morning.
"Maximum sustained winds around the system centre are 70-90kmph, gusting to 100kmph," the met department said on Saturday (15).
It predicted rain and thunderstorm accompanied by strong winds of 40-60kmph in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Dadu.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the rough seas till Thursday (20).
The Sindh government has declared an emergency along the coastline of the province and ordered an urgent clearing of stormwater drains in Karachi. The government also ordered the removal of billboards and told builders to take precautions to safeguard under-construction buildings, according to a Dawn report.
Sindh chief minister Murad Ali said all the district administrations should make alternative arrangements to accommodate people in case it becomes necessary to shift them.
Meanwhile, Karachi is also expected to experience a heatwave in the next two days with maximum temperatures likely to hover at 40-42 degrees Celsius.
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds tour the Royal Opera House in London
