Arabian Sea Depression at 250 KM distance from Karachi: Met official

KARACHI: A weather official has said that the depression in the Arabian Sea has been at a distance of 250 kilometres from Karachi and has further intensified, ARY News reported on Thursday.

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

“Current meteorological assessments indicating 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,” director Met Office said.

Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umarkot, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matyari, Shaheed Banazirabad, Noshahro Feroze and Dadu districts could also receive heavy to very heavy rainfall and 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 to 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 official 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.