Pakistan

Heavy rain likely in coastal areas as cyclone Asna steers away from Karachi

Published by

Digital Desk

2 years ago

KARACHI: Coastal areas of Pakistan including Karachi remained alert for expected heavy rains after the cyclonic storm Asna moved away from Sindh’s coastal belt on Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.

According to PMD’s latest cyclone alert at 3:25 pm, the cyclonic storm has moved further west-southwestward during the past 6 hours and now lies about 300 kilometers southwest of Karachi, 230km south-southeast of Ormara, and 300km southeast of Gwadar.

The system is likely to track further west-southwestwards towards the coastal belt of Balochistan, Met Office advisory added. “Sea conditions are likely to remain rough/very rough with squally winds of 60-70 Km/hour gusting 80 km/hour.”

In a presser, Director General of the Meteorological Department, Sahibzada Khan stated that this is the first time in 60 years, since 1964, that such a cyclone has formed. “Currently, it is located 200 km south of Karachi and may intensify into a tropical storm within the next six hours,” he said.

Due to the cyclone over the northeast Arabian Sea off the Sindh coast, strong monsoon currents are penetrating the country. A westerly wave is expected to bring another spell of heavy monsoon rain in the upper regions of the country from September 2 to 4, Met Office said.

Pakistan named the cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea, cyclone Asna. The word Asna means “The One To Be Acknowledged Or Praised” in Urdu.

He added that regional cyclones are named according to a list prepared by a 13-country panel, including Pakistan.

The name of this cyclone came from a new list of tropical cyclone names adopted by 13 countries in the WMO/ESCAP Panel in April 2020. This list is used to name storms over the North Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

According to the Indian Metrological Department, between 1891 and 2023, only three cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea during August (in 1976, 1964, and 1944).

Heavy rain expected

Under this system’s influence, the PMD has predicted widespread extremely heavy rains and thunderstorms accompanied by squally winds 60-70Km/hour in several districts of Sindh today evening/night as well as those along the Balochistan coast till September 1 night.

“Widespread rain/wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy and isolated extremely heavy falls are likely in Karachi division, Tharparker, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu & Shaheed Benazirabad districts till tomorrow,” Met Office advisory said.

Furthermore, the Met Office predicted heavy rainfall with thunderstorms in Balochistan’s Hub, Lasbella, Awaran, Keach & Gwadar districts from August 30 to September 1 with occasional gaps.

Heavy rains may create water logging/rain inundation in low-lying areas of the Makran coast under the influence of the cyclonic storm.

Following the cyclonic storm advisory, authorities in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan have banned fishermen from venturing into the sea til September 1. Swimming, bathing, diving, and wading in the sea/beaches and coastal areas of Karachi Division has been banned from Aug 29 till Aug 31 (Saturday).

The decision came after Met Dept added that due to the cyclonic activities, the sea conditions are likely to remain rough/very rough with squally winds of 60-70 Km/hour gusting 80 km/hour.

Digital Desk