Cyclone Maha 675 kilometers away, no threat to Karachi: PMD

KARACHI: Severe Cyclonic Storm Maha has been at a distance of 675 kilometers from Karachi, an official of Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.

Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz has said Cyclone Maha has tracked north-northwestwards during last 12 hours and was located at 20:00 PST of 4th November 2019 around Latitude 19.0 North and Longitude 64.3 East with maximum sustained surface winds of 170-190 kmph gusting 210 kmph.

The coastal belt of Karachi is expected to receive light rainfall under the influence of Cyclone Maha, weather department said.

Tropical Cyclone Maha is likely to recurve in east-northeast direction towards Indian Gujarat.

According to the met office, currently, there is no threat to Pakistan coastal area, however, fishermen are advised not to venture in deep sea till 06 Nov.

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said that the cyclone, previously forecast to go northwestward in the centre of the Arabian Sea, is headed northeastwards by Tuesday morning and expected to weaken gradually into a tropical storm in the next 48 hours.

The NCM said that the cyclone, is expected to bring rough seas offshore. “Water surge may affect low land during the period of the high tide over the east coast till Wednesday. Maha will bring higher waves, but the rest of the UAE is unlikely to feel any effect,” the NCM said in a statement.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall in the northwest Indian coast by Wednesday or Thursday.

Maha will bring heavy rain to Maharashtra and Gujarat. After hitting Gujarat, it is expected to steadily lose intensity, becoming a tropical depression by early Friday morning, Indian met officials said.