Cyclone Biparjoy Moves North-Northwest, Threatens Pakistan’s Coastal Areas

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that Cyclone Biparjoy was moving north-northwestward, positioned 470 kilometers from Karachi and 460 km from Thatta. The PMD noted favorable environmental conditions, including a sea surface temperature of 29-31°C, low vertical wind shear, and upper-level divergence, which are expected to maintain the cyclone’s intensity throughout the forecast period.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) indicated via its official Twitter account that the cyclone has downgraded from an extremely severe cyclonic storm to a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’, traveling roughly 140-150 km/h. The current coordinates are near Latitude 20.7° N and Longitude 67.1° E. The future impact and course of Biparjoy can only be determined as the system evolves.

Per the latest forecast on the NDMA’s website, Cyclone Biparjoy is predicted to move northward until June 14, 2023, before turning eastward. The cyclone is expected to land between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh Coastline) and the Indian Gujarat Coastline on June 15, 2023, as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS).

Areas likely to be affected include Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Ormara, Tando Allah Yar Khan, and Tando Mohammad Khan. Despite previous warnings, thousands of families remain in Sindh’s coastal belt.

Anxiety is rising among Badin, Sujawal, and Thatta residents and areas of Karachi such as Rehri Goth. Since Monday, authorities have encouraged coastal residents to evacuate to established camps. Many have refused to leave their homes, but as of Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed they had managed to evacuate those most at risk in the ‘red zone.’

The PMD anticipates that Cyclone Biparjoy could impact these districts by Thursday, although the number of people directly affected remains uncertain.

Officials have also forecasted that coastal areas should expect rain this afternoon.

According to the Sindh Chief Minister House, over 6,000 of the 40,800 at-risk individuals have been relocated to safer locations. CM Murad Ali Shah reassured that the Sindh administration would continue evacuation in the districts of Thatta, Badin, and Sajawal. He emphasized the necessity of moving residents to safer locations, appealing to the people to cooperate with the administration in the relocation process.