KARACHI: Authorities in southern Pakistan have been preparing to deal with possible impacts of a major cyclonic storm hovering over the Arabian Sea that is expected to hit the country’s coastal areas this week, with the Met Office saying the weather system drifted further northwards to the port city of Karachi on Monday.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Cyclone Biparjoy is projected to pass between Keti Bandar in Pakistan’s Sindh province and the Indian Gujarat coast on the afternoon of June 15.
The extremely severe cyclonic storm (ESCS) has continued to drift toward the Pakistani coastline in the southern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces, putting multiple key ports and cities at risk.
“ESCS Biparjoy tracked further northward during last 12 hrs & now lies near Lat 19.5N, long 67.6E, at a distance of about 600km south of Karachi, 580km south of Thatta,” Sardar Sarfraz, director at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), said on Monday.
“[The storm is] likely to keep moving north until 14 Jun & then northeast & cross between southeast Sindh & Indian Gujarat on 15 Jun.”
The weather system is likely to cause heavy rain, thunderstorm and squally winds in Thatta, Badin, Karachi, Ormara and adjoining areas in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
On Sunday, top administrative officials in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, convened a meeting to address the potential impact of Cyclone Biparjoy.
The meeting, presided over by Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon, concluded that the likelihood of a direct hit on the Karachi coast remained low, although the city was still likely to encounter strong winds and heavy to moderate rainfall.
“To mitigate potential dangers, the process of evacuating vulnerable buildings and removing billboards has commenced across the city,” said an official statement circulated after the meeting.
“All deputy commissioners have been instructed to expedite the evacuation process and complete it by tomorrow.”
Recognizing the significance of swift relief operations in emergency situations, the meeting highlighted the need for strong coordination between local administration officials and the provincial disaster management authority. Additionally, local hospitals were put on high alert to ensure their readiness in case of any emergencies arising from the cyclone.
Similar arrangements were also being made by local authorities in Sindh and Balochistan after being instructed by the national and provincial disaster management authorities.
On Saturday, heavy rains swept through Pakistan’s northwest, causing several houses to collapse and leaving at least 27 people dead and 145 injured.
Rains and hail hit the Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Karak districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, senior rescue officer Khateer Ahmed said, uprooting trees and knocking down power transmission towers. Officials were working to provide emergency relief to the injured, Ahmed said.
Last year, monsoon rains and flooding devastated Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people, affecting around 33 million people and displacing nearly 8 million.
