Pakistan’s Sindh province declares cyclone emergency in coastal areas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s southern Sindh province has declared a cyclone emergency in districts along its coastal belt after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned against an impending threat from tropical cyclone Tauktae.
Developing in the Arabian Sea and traced at about 1,460 km from the capital city, Karachi, the tropical cyclone is expected to impact neighboring India first before intensifying and threatening parts of Pakistan.
In a meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah instructed officials to establish a control room for “close coordination with all districts,” before declaring an emergency, a statement released by his office read.
In a separate statement, the NDMA said that sea conditions would be “rough to very rough,” advising fishermen “not to venture into the sea” from May 16 to 20.
“Rain-dust and thunderstorm with heavy falls and gusty winds are also expected in coastal areas of Sindh from May 17 to 20,” it added.
According to media reports, if the storm makes landfall at a strength equivalent to a major hurricane, it will not only bring winds well over 100 mph and flooding rains but incredibly rough seas and a significant storm surge, which poses a deadly threat as well.