Cyclone Tauktae not likely to make landfall on Pakistan's coastal belt

• Cyclone Tauktae turning away in the southwest direction, says PMD. 
• Karachi not likely to receive torrential rainfalls since the cyclone is turning away, says PMD. 
• Temperature in Karachi likely to rise to 42-43 degrees in the next couple of days: Met department. 

KARACHI: Cyclone Tauktae will pass by Pakistan's coastal belt without touching it, said the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday. 

"The cyclone is turning away to the southwest direction," said the PMD's Director Sardar Sarfaraz. "Though the cyclone is intensifying, it will pass by Pakistan's coastal belt without touching it."

Since the cyclone is turning away from Pakistan's coastal areas, it is no longer expected that Karachi will receive torrential rains, he added, stating that however, the south-eastern Sindh areas are expected to receive rainfall.

Sarfaraz said strong, dusty winds are blowing in Karachi due to the cyclone, adding that the speed of winds are likely to reach the speed of 25-30km/hr in the metropolis.

He said the cyclone is also causing warm winds to blow in the city, adding that this will raise the temperature of the city. "The temperature of the city is expected to rise to a maximum of 42-43 degrees centigrade in the next couple of days," added Sarfaraz.  

Sarfaraz said it was expected that the cyclone will hit the coastal belt of Gujarat in India on May 18. 

Cyclone Tauktae likely to intensify further in next 18-24 hours: Met dept

A day earlier, the Met department had stated that the cyclone is likely to intensify by Sunday. 

The PMD had said that the cyclonic storm had tracked northwestward at a speed of 18km and at 2100 PST it lay centered near latitude 14.5N and longitude 72.8E, at a distance of about 1,310km south-southeast of Karachi.

"Maximum sustained winds around the system centre are 100-120 kmph gusting to 140 kmph," the advisory had read.

It had also said that based on the existing meteorological conditions, dust/thunderstorm-rain with a few incidences of moderate to heavy rainfall with gusty winds of 60-80 Kmph are likely to occur in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Sanghar districts between May 17 and 20.

The Met department had said dust/thunderstorm-rains with isolated moderate to heavy rainfall and gusty winds of 40-60 kmph are also likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Shaheed-Benazirabad, between May 18 and 20.

Sea conditions were forecast by the weather department to be rough to very rough and fishermen were advised not to venture in the sea between May 16 and 20.

CM Sindh declares emergency on coastal belt

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah was briefed on the developing system yesterday after which he declared an emergency in all districts of the province that lie on the coastal belt.

He had ordered the establishment of a control cell which was later notified by the government. Emergency contact information was also released for the public to communicate on in case of any rain-related emergencies.

Keeping in view the presentation given to him by the Met office and Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the chief minister directed the administration in Karachi to start clearing all the choking points of nullahs. He also directed Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh and Administrator KMC Laiq Ahmed to start removing all billboards and neo-signs.

The chief minister directed the PDSMA to provide dewatering machines and generators to the district administration in the city and in the other districts where required.

He had also asked builders to take precautionary measures in view of dangers posed by under-construction buildings.

The chief minister had also issued directives to fishermen, telling them not to go into the deep sea for fishing from Sunday onwards.