A cyclone gathering a pace of 1,200 kilometres off Karachi’s coast could pose as a substantial threat to the city’s shores in the next 24 to 48 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Sunday, while adding that the weather event is likely to cause rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeast Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the coming week.
The cyclone, which is being build up in Middle East, is 900 miles away from Pakistan. The cyclone could approach towards the marine areas, due to which rain could be expected in next 24 hours, while 200 millimetre rain is expected in a day in parts of KPK and Kashmir.
PMD’s chief meteorologist explained that there had been practically no decrease nor increase in its intensity, but it had moved slightly northward. While its intensity remains stable, he said, it would not take shape of a tropical cyclone.
Dr Rasul added that once it took on this form and entered Pakistani waters, a formal warning would be issued to anglers, and the PMD would coordinate closely with concerned agencies and provide updates accordingly.
The meteorologist said that Pakistan’s monsoon is affected by El Nino, which typically weakens the monsoon. He said that while there were collectively fewer rains over the July-September period, there were at least 3-4 episodes of intense rainfall.
Rasul said that rains would occur the same way this year, taking place during the month of Ramazan in July.
The report furthered that the approaching cyclone can also cause torrential rains in multiple cities, including Karachi.
“During the next 24 hours, upper parts of the country would witness ‘hot’ weather conditions, while northern areas will face ‘severely hot’ and dry weather,” the Met Office said in the statement.
Excess rainfall in the Kabul River catchment area may also cause flooding along connected riverbanks.
However, lighter rains are expected in Sindh, south Punjab and Balochistan.
Pre-monsoon rains will become monsoon rains by the end of July, and will continue until September.
Section 144 was imposed on Clifton’s Sea View beach by Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui because of the annual monsoon spell which brought with it higher waves and stronger currents.
However, despite the imposition of Section 144 banning bathing in the sea ─ but not visiting the seaside ─ large droves of citizens went swimming in the sea to cool off.
A Cantonment Board Clifton employee said that workers had been stationed across the beach to prevent people from swimming in the sea for their own safety.
HEAT WAVE PERSISTS
Meanwhile, Sindh continued to witness an extreme heat wave with mercury touching the 47 degrees Celsius mark in Larkana.
About 45 degrees Celsius was recorded in Sukkur, Rohri, Dadu and Jacobabad, while other cities affected by heat wave include Sukkur, Shikarpur, Khairpur and Kandhkot.
Balochistan’s Sibbi also braved 45 degrees Celsius of temperature while there were also reports from Lahore about the increasing temperature.
