Very severe cyclone Biparjoy could 'impact' Pakistan, India coasts

KARACHI: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said Friday that the 'Biparjoy' cyclone could impact Pakistan and neighbouring India's coastlines.

In a statement, the Met Office said the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Biparjoy, persisting with its intensity, slightly changed its course and slowly tracked in the north-northeast direction during the past 12 hours and now lies near Latitude 14.8°N & Longitude 66.5°E at a distance of about 1,120km south of Karachi.

Maximum sustained surface winds are 130-150km per hour with gusts of 160km per hour around the system centre, the PMD said.

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.

Impacts?

• 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.