Raging cyclone over Arabian Sea poses no threat to Pakistan’s coastal areas – official

• Met Office says the cyclone may cause light rains along Pakistan’s coast, though it is headed towards Oman

• Experts say the amount of rain along Pakistan’s coastline will depend on the cyclone’s distance from the area

KARACHI: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) officials said on Thursday a cyclone was likely to result in light rains in Pakistan’s coastal areas, though the violent windstorm would pose no threat to the country since it was moving towards Oman.

The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) “BIPORJOY” is currently located 1,200 kilometers south of Pakistani port city of Karachi, said the PMD.

According to Sardar Sarfraz, a Met Department official, the system is likely to intensify further due to the current environmental conditions while continuing to move in the northwestern direction.

Owing to this, he said, Pakistan’s coastline was not under imminent threat.

“The track is northwest, and if it continues in that direction until the end of its life, it will move towards Oman,” Sarfraz told Arab News.

He said when the cyclone would reach 18 to 20 degrees, a wave from the Arabian side may push high tides towards the northeast or east, potentially creating a situation similar to 2010 when a cyclone passed near Balochistan’s coastline.

The outcome, he said, would depend on the cyclone’s track over the next four days.

“Considering the trend during the last two days, there is no threat to Pakistan,” he continued, emphasizing that the situation would become clearer in the next four days.

Sarfraz added the amount of rain in the Pakistani coastal areas would depend on the distance of the cyclone from the coastline.

“If it stays at a distance, there might be light rains,” he said.