Fishing boats are tethered together as they are moored at Karachi fisheries harbour area due to the expected cyclone across the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan provinces in Pakistan on Friday, June 10, 2011. The intensity of the cyclone in the Arabian Sea has diminished and officials have downgraded the threat to vessels. - Photo by AP

KARACHI: The fear of a tropical cyclone hitting the country’s coastal areas eased on Friday after weather officials said a depression in the Arabian Sea moving in a north-westerly direction was less dangerous than initially feared.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the possibility of the depression, which still persists 600km southeast of Karachi, turning into a tropical cyclone on Saturday or Sunday has decreased substantially because of a decline in the sea surface temperature and other weather conditions.

Because of this development, the department added, widespread rain with gusty winds along the Sindh coast was expected from Sunday to Tuesday and along the Balochistan coast from Monday to Wednesday.

Chief Meteorologist Mohammad Riaz Ahmad told Dawn that no coastal area was under threat of any cyclone at present. He said that although the depression over the Arabian Sea had failed to graduate to a cyclone, its existence might cause stormy rains in southern coastal strips of the country.

He said the month of June occasionally saw the rotating of a cyclone over the Arabian Sea. “May and June have been favourable for depression and cyclone formation over the Arabian Sea. The frequency of formation of depression is particularly high in June.”

Mr Riaz said the weather variability and depression developed on June 8 was likely to last another four days.

An advisory issued by the Meteorological Department said the sea conditions had already become rough in northeastern Arabian Sea and advised fishermen in Sindh to refrain from going to the open sea till Tuesday. The fishermen of Balochistan may continue their activities till Saturday.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chairman Mohammad Ali Shah said that 90 per cent of fishing boats and ships, including 500 operating in the open sea, returned to the shore on Friday evening.

HEAT PERSISTS: The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country on Friday. The highest temperature of 47 degrees centigrade was recorded in Nokkundi, Dadu and Dalbandin.

According to the Met Office, isolated duststorm/rain may occur in upper Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas, with maximum temperature of 43-46 degrees centigrade in Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Jacobabad.