Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has said that cyclone Biparjoy, which has slightly moved away from Karachi, will hit Sindh’s Keti Bandar tomorrow (Thursday) at 11am.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, she said as many as 66,000 people have been evacuated to safer places from Sindh’s coastal areas thus far.
The federal minister also requested the people to cooperate with authorities and added that all rescue agencies are prepared for relief operations.
“The true form of the cyclone will be known tomorrow,” she added.
The minister said Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Tharparkar districts will be hit the hardest by the cyclone, adding that the Biparjoy is moving away from Karachi.
Rehman has said that cyclone has forced the authorities to suspend small aircraft operations in the country.
The climate minister said the commercial flights operations would be suspended as the cyclone drew closer to the country.
In its latest update, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that cyclone Biparjoy over northeast Arabian Sea has moved nearly northeastward during last six hours and now lies near latitude 22.1°N and longitude 66.9°E at a distance of about 310km south of Karachi, 300km south-southwest Thatta and 240km south-southwest of Keti Bandar.
The cyclone was previously 370km south of Karachi.
“Maximum sustained surface winds are 150-160 Km/hour gusts 180 Km/hour around the system center and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system center with maximum wave height 30 feet,” it added.
The PDM said favourable environmental conditions (sea surface temperature of 29-30°C, low vertical wind shear and upper-level divergence) are in support to sustain the cyclone strength through the forecast period.