ISLAMABAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, including the port city of Karachi, have adopted a high alert mode Sunday after the country's meteorological department issued alerts about cyclone Tauktae.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Sunday afternoon issued the sixth consecutive alert for the cyclone, poised to affect part of the Sindh province, especially its coastal areas with heavy rainfall, gusty winds and hot weather.
According to the alert, the cyclone has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and lay centered at 8:00 a.m. local time on Sunday near 15.3 degrees north latitude and 72.5 degrees east longitude, at a distance of about 1,210 km south-southeast of Karachi.
"Maximum sustained winds around the system center are 100-120 kph gusting to 140 kph," said the alert, adding that the system is likely to move further northwestward and reach the Indian state of Gujarat by Tuesday morning.
The department said in an alert issued Saturday night that "based on the existing meteorological conditions, dust/thunderstorm-rain with few moderate to heavy falls with gusty winds of 60-80 kph" are likely to occur in different parts of Sindh, especially its coastal areas.
Fishermen have also been advised not to venture in the sea till May 20 because the sea conditions will be rough to very rough.
In a separate notification, the department has also issued a heatwave warning for Karachi from May 16 to 17 forecasting the rise in temperature to 42 degrees Celsius.
Following the alerts, Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah had declared an emergency in all districts located along the coastal belt. Local authorities in Karachi have started removing all billboards and safeguarding under-construction buildings besides cleaning the choking points of storm-water drains and making alternate arrangements for accommodation.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi has also asked the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency to deploy fast response boats to track and guide all fishing boats back towards the shore especially in the eastern sector. Enditem