KARACHI: As Cyclone Kyaar dissipates off the coast of Somalia, another cyclonic storm building up in the Arabian Sea is being predicted to gain intensity and turn into a severe cyclonic storm over the next 24 hours, a Meteorological department official stated on Thursday.

Maha — the current cyclonic storm — is far away from Pakistan and poses no threat to its coast.

“Cyclonic storm Maha has moved north-north westwards during the last 12 hours and is likely to track north-westwards and intensify more as a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours,” says the Met department website.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Maha was 1,400km away from Karachi’s coast on Thursday night, surrounded by winds having speed between 63km per hour and 87km per hour.

“It’s likely to gain more intensity and move towards Oman gradually whereas Cyclone Kyaar is currently moving parallel to Oman and Yemen. It’s likely to weaken into a depression by tomorrow and gradually dissipate over waters off the coast of Somalia,” said Sardar Sarfaraz.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2019