Cyclone Asna steered away from Pakistan’s coastline on Saturday — lying about 370 kilometres away from Karachi — but residents of Balochistan’s coastal belt still braced for expected rains brought by the weather system.
A deep depression (a very strong low-pressure area), which the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Thursday would bring widespread rainfall, intensified into Cyclone Asna on Friday.
According to a PMD alert issued at 8pm today, the cyclone over the west-central Arabian Sea off the Sindh coast has kept moving further westward during the past six hours and now lies about 370km southwest of Karachi, 250km south of Ormara and 260km southeast of Gwadar.
“The system is likely to track further west-south-westwards,” the Met Office added.
It said rain/thundershowers with a few heavy falls, accompanied by squally winds of 60-70km/hour were likely in Lasbella, Awaran, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Jiwani, Turbat, Panjgur and surroundings till Sunday night.
The PMD said heavy rains may create water logging in low-lying areas of Makran coast and sea conditions were likely to remain rough/very rough till Sunday.
It advised fishermen of Balochistan not to venture into the open sea till Sunday night while those of Sindh could resume their activities from tomorrow.
According to rainfall figures as of 3pm, it rained 39 millimetres in Karachi’s Quaidabad, 24mm in Surjani, 18.4mm in Korangi, 17mm in North Nazimabad, 16.5mm in North Karachi, 16mm each at University Road and Jinnah Terminal, 15mm at PAF Faisal Base, 13mm at PAF Masroor Base, 12.4mm in Old Area Airport, 11.8mm each in Keamari and Gulshan-i-Maymar, 5mm in Gulshan-i-Hadeed, 4.2mm in Gadap and 1mm in Saddar.
According to an update on Zoom Earth at 8am — provided via the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) — Cyclone Asna was expected to minimally intensify to 85km/h in around 12 hours and in 24 hours, a weakening trend will start.
“Weakening to tropical depression strength is expected to occur in around two days,” the JTWC was quoted as saying.
‘Rare’ cyclone
Met officials have described the formation of a cyclone in the monsoon season as a “rare phenomenon”.
“It would be a rare event as cyclones are uncommon in the monsoon season,” Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz said earlier.
He said the cyclone would be the first in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976 and would get the name ‘Asna’ suggested by Pakistan. He added that regional cyclones were assigned names according to a list prepared by a 13-country panel, including Pakistan.
Due to the forecast of heavy showers and urban flooding warnings, schools in Karachi and Hyderabad were shut on Friday.
A ban on “fishermen venturing into the sea, as well as on swimming, bathing, diving, and wading in the sea/beaches and coastal areas“ of Karachi Division had been imposed from Aug 29 till Aug 31 (Saturday).
About two dozen people were killed on Friday across the country as heavy monsoon rains caused widespread devastation.
In Sindh, at least nine people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Jamshoro, Dadu and Mirpurkhas districts on Friday. More than 30 people were injured as the deluge ruptured sewers, breached dykes and swept away countless mud houses.
In Balochistan, two persons were missing after 13 people were swept away in flash floods in Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Duki, Harnai and Jhal Magsi areas.
In the north, 13 of a family died when the roof of their home collapsed due to a landslide induced by incessant rainfall in Upper Dir.
Meanwhile, in India, where at least 31 people have died this weak from rain-related incidents, authorities evacuated more than 8,700 people from ten districts in the Gujarat state yesterday, officials said.
