Biparjoy 'could affect' coastlines in Pakistan, India

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has alerted authorities that the 'Biparjoy' cyclone could affect the coastlines of Pakistan and neighbouring India.

The Met Office, in a statement issued on Friday, said the intensity of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Biparjoy has not altered, as it has gently travelled north-northeast in the past 12 hours, and it presently lies around Latitude 14.8°N and Longitude 66.5°E, some 1,120 km south of Karachi.

The maximum sustained surface winds, according to the PMD, are 130-150km per hour with gusts of 160km per hour around the system centre.

The favourable environmental conditions (sea surface temperature of 30-32°C, low vertical wind shear, and upper-level divergence) still support the system to intensify further.

The Met Office said owing to a shift in upper-level steering winds, there is uncertainty in global models' opinion regarding the track forecast of the cyclone, with some taking it to the Oman-Pakistan western coast and others indicating towards the Indian Gujarat-Pakistan Sindh coast.

"Considering this uncertainty, the system is likely to keep tracking further north/northeastward during the next 2 days."

PMD's cyclone warning centre in Karachi is monitoring the system, it added.

Advisory

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the open sea from Monday, 12 June, onwards till the system is over as the Arabian Sea conditions may get very rough/high accompanied by high tides along the coast.

With its probable northeast track, the rain-thunderstorm — with some heavy falls and squally winds — is expected on the Sindh-Makran coast from 13 June night to 4 June morning.

Sea conditions are very high/phenomenal around the system centre with a maximum wave height of 25-28 feet.