Cyclone Biparjoy, which is expected to make landfall tomorrow (June 15) between Keti Bandar in Sindh and Kutch in Indian Gujarat, was at a distance of 340km from Karachi on Wednesday as it moved further north and was expected to recurve north-northeastward.
Sardar Sarfraz, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), said the cyclone had moved north-northwestward during the last six hours.
The latest alert issued by the PMD said the cyclone was now at a distance of 340km south-southwest of Karachi, 355km south-southwest Thatta and 275km south-southwest of Keti Bandar.
“Maximum sustained surface winds are 150-160km/hour, gusts 180km/hour around the system centre and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system centre with maximum wave height [of] 30 feet,” the alert said.
It added that the “very severe cyclonic storm” was now likely to recurve north- northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar and the Indian Gujarat coast on June 15, packing winds of 100-120km/h.
It further said that widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm and rain were likely in Sindh’s Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts during June 14-17. Likewise, heavy rainfall and squally winds were likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts from June 14-16 while dust/thunderstorm and isolated heavy falls were expected in Balochistan’s Hub and Lasbela districts during this time.
Zoom Earth said Biparjoy would “recurve sharply northeastward along the northwestern edge of the subtropical ridge and will approach the India-Pakistan border area with significant weakening after 24 hours due to increased frictional effects”.
“After 36 hours when the system makes landfall, Biparjoy will rapidly weaken and is expected to dissipate in three days over northwest India,” it said.
