Karachi
The meteorological department said in a statement that there was no serious threat to the coastal areas of Pakistan from Typhoon Taota. The threat of the typhoon hitting the Indian coast has now been averted. The storm is constantly changing its position and no longer looks as dangerous as it did until Saturday morning.
Director Meteorological Department Sardar Sarfraz said that the typhoon is located at a distance of 1210 km southeast of Karachi and the storm will pass away from the coastal strip of Pakistan. However, due to hot winds, the situation will remain low.
Winds are expected to blow at a speed of 25 to 30 kmph in the city. The weather has changed in Kati Bandar and the coastal belt due to the storm, with strong winds in Thatta and surrounding areas causing dust storms.
Rain is expected along the coast of Sindh from May 18 to 20, while a red alert has been issued in Hyderabad and fishermen have been barred from entering the deep sea for three days. Fishing activities in Gwadar are also banned till May 20.
Elaborating on the history of cyclones in the Arabian Sea, Sardar Sarfraz said that the coastal belt of Balochistan was last affected by heavy rains in 2010 due to Hurricane Fat. However, it was a third-tier cyclone ‘2A’ in May 1999 that entered the cities of Thatta and Badin in Sindh.
Sardar Sarfraz said that the storm had caused severe destruction and loss of life after which no storm in the Arabian Sea directly affected our shores.
