Pakistan issues alert as Arabian Sea storm system nears Sindh, Punjab braces for rains
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities issued weather warnings on Wednesday as a new storm system forming over the northeast Arabian Sea threatened to bring rain and strong winds to the southern Sindh province this week, while a separate westerly weather front is forecast to lash Punjab with heavy downpours early next week.
A well-marked low-pressure area over India’s Saurashtra coast has moved westward into the Arabian Sea, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) southeast of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the provincial capital of Sindh, and is expected to intensify into a tropical depression within 12 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.
Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall is likely on Tuesday in Karachi and 11 southern Sindh districts including Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin and Mirpurkhas, accompanied by squally winds of up to 55 kilometers per hour.
“Fishermen of Sindh are advised not to venture into deep sea till Oct. 3,” the PMD said in its latest tropical cyclone watch. “The cyclone warning center in Karachi is monitoring the system and will issue updates accordingly.”
