Evacuations continued in Sindh on Tuesday as Cyclone Biparjoy intensified and barrelled toward the province’s coastal belt.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre said the cyclone had moved further north-northwestward during the last six hours and was now about 380km south of Karachi and 390km south of Thatta.
Maximum sustained surface winds were 150-160kmph, with gusts of 170kmph. Sea conditions were phenomenal, with maximum wave height of 30ft.
The centre said that under the existing conditions, the cyclone was “most likely” to track further northward until the morning of June 14, then recurve northeastward and cross between Keti Bunder and the Indian Gujarat coast on the afternoon or evening of June 15 as a “very severe cyclonic storm” packing winds of 100-120kmph, gusting 140kmph.
The alert said that widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm rain with some very heavy/extremely heavy falls accompanied with squally winds of 80-100kmph gusting 120kmph were likely in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot between June 13-17.
Dust/thunderstorm-rain with few heavy falls and accompanied with squally winds of 60-80kmph were likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts from June 14-16.
Storm surge of 3-3.5m high were expected at point of landfall, Keti Bunder, and its surrounding areas, which would inundate low-lying settlements. The centre also advised fishermen to not venture out into the open sea till the system abated by June 17.
Sea conditions along Sindh’s coast may get “very rough to high”, with storm surge of 2-2.5m. Similarly, rough to very rough sea conditions were expected along Balochistan’s coast — with storm surge of two metres — that covers Sonmiani, Hub, Kund Malir, Ormara and surroundings areas.
According to the alert, dust/thunderstorm-rain with isolated heavy falls are also expected in the Hub and Lasbela districts of Balochistan from June 14-16 June.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt General Inam Haider Malik said the intensity of Biparjoy had gotten severe.
“According to scientific reports, the cyclone’s direction will turn to Keti Bandar and Indian Gujarat,” he stated, adding that an emergency had hence been imposed in all the vulnerable areas.