Pakistan issues alert as Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ poses threat to coastal regions

KARACHI – The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Saturday issued an alert stating that the Depression over Southeast Arabian has intensified into a Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae”.

PMD said that the Cyclon lay centered “at 0800 PST of 15 May 2021 near latitude 12.7N and longitude 72.3E, at a distance of about 1460 Km south-southeast of Karachi. Maximum sustained winds around the system centre are 70-90 Kmph gusting to 100 Kmph”.

The system is likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) during next 12-18 hours and move in north-northwest direction and reach Indian Gujarat by May 18 morning.

According to present environmental conditions and under the influence of this system, widespread raindust/thunderstorm with few heavy to very heavy falls and gusty winds of 70-90 Kmph are likely to occur in Thatta, Badin, Thar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot & Sanghar districts from 17 May to 20 May 2021.

“Raindust/thunderstorm with few heavy falls and gusty winds of 40-60 Kmph are also likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaeed Banzirabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Dadu during 18-20 May 2021,”.

The department has also advised fishermen to not venture in the sea as conditions will be rough to very rough during 16-20 May 2021.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has issued directives to chalk out an emergency plan to handle any untoward situation in the Sindh Capital.

He has ordered authorities to remove all the billboards from the city and cleaning of the water drainage systems amid prediction of heavy rains and gusty winds.

Karachi and eastern coastline, as per the current trajectory, is expected to be affected by the Cyclon Tauktae.

Myanmar has named the Cyclone as “Tauktae, which means “gecko”, meaning a highly vocal lizard in Burmese.

This is going to be the first cyclonic storm of 2021 in the South Asian region which is already battling with mutant spread of COVID-19.