Cyclone storm Gulab likely to weaken into deep depression: Met office

KARACHI: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in its fourth and last alert on Tropical Cyclone Gulab in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday said that cyclone storm is likely to weaken into a deep depression during the next 6 hours, ARY News reported.

There is no threat to Pakistan’s coast from cyclonic storm Gulab formed over the Bay of Bengal, the Met department stated.

“Cyclone Gulab made landfall between the coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, India this evening, bearing gusts of up to 95 kilometres (59 miles) per hour, the PMD said.

Two fishermen were reported dead after a cyclone packing strong winds and rains barrelled into India’s east coast late Sunday, forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people in three states to shelters.

A weather expert said that cyclones do not usually form in September in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. They form in the months of October and November. “It is a rare meteorological activity of its kind”.

“Under the influence of this weather system rains are also expected in the southern parts of Pakistan including Karachi, after central India and Gujarat”.

It is to be mentioned here that the PMD had earlier forecast rainfall with wind and thunderstorms in southeastern parts of Sindh including Karachi from Sep. 28.

Tropical Cyclone ‘Gulab’ is the third cyclone of 2021 after ‘Tauktae’ and ‘Yaas’ that had formed in the pre-monsoon window of cyclones in the region in May this year.