PAKISTAN is likely to escape the fury of Cyclone Tauktae as it changed its direction when it was some 1,300 km away from the port city of Karachi, according to the country’s meteorological department (PMD).
Located about 145 km west off Mumbai in the Arabian sea just before midday on Monday (17), the ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ is expected to make a landfall in India’s western state of Gujarat before midnight.
PMD said in its alert that the system with winds of 100-120 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph, was moving north-westward at a speed of 18 km. Fishermen are warned against venturing into the choppy sea.
However, the cyclonic activity in the sea has kicked up dust/thunderstorm in several parts of the Sindh province bringing down visibility to about 2 km in Karachi. Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Sanghar districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfalls along with gusty winds of 60-80 kmph, The Nation reported.
As precautionary measures, the Sindh government has declared an emergency along the coastal belt, set up helplines and ordered billboards to be taken down. It also told the local Karachi administration to clear the city’s stormwater drains and identify safe places in case evacuation of people becomes necessary this week.
Heatwave in Karachi
Hot weather conditions gripped Karachi and surrounding areas on Monday forcing people stay indoors during the day. The maximum temperature in the port city breached 42 degrees Celsius, with the met department predicting the mercury levels to stay at the elevated levels till Tuesday (18) before coming down after the midweek. Hot weather is also expected to persist in Hyderabad and Shaheed-Benazirabad for the next couple of days. The condition is attributed to the cyclonic storm sucking the sea breeze.
A shortage of water was reported in Karachi, the country’s commercial hub, as the harsh weather spurred the demand.
In Sindh province, the maximum temperatures often breach during the May-August period.
