1100kms away from Karachi, Cyclone Vayu to intensify further

KARACHI: Cyclone Vayu is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, an alert issued by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said Tuesday.

The Met Office also warned about high sea and strong winds during the next two days.

The update on the cyclone from the Met Office reads as:

"The depression over Southeast and adjoining Eastcentral Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm "Vayu" lay centered at 0000utc of today, the 11th June near lat. 14.7°n and long. 70.6°e about 1100 km South Southeast of Karachi. It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours." 

The system is likely to intensify further into a Severe Tropical Cyclone by evening today and will continue to move in northerly direction during next 24 hours.

Under the influence of this system, widespread dust, thunder-showers with isolated heavy falls are expected in southeast Sindh (Thatta, Badin and Tharparker districts) on Thursday and Friday. While scattered and isolated dust-thundershowers may occur in rest of Sindh during the period.

The sea breeze is likely to remain cutoff on Thursday and Friday which can lead to heatwave like conditions in coastal areas of Sindh including Karachi.

 Chief Met Karachi Abdur Rashid told The News on Monday, “The fishermen of Sindh are advised to remain alert and not to venture in deep sea. The authorities and stakeholders are requested to abreast them of system updates through PMD website”, the PMD official maintained.