The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Friday said that the deep depression over the northeast Arabian sea had intensified into a cyclonic storm — Shaheen — and the system was likely to move west-southwestwards towards Oman/Makran.

In the latest update, the department said that the storm was at a distance of 280km southwest of Karachi, 230km from Ormara and 470km southwest of Gwadar. Estimated maximum sustained surface wind is 65- 85km/hour and sea conditions are rough/very rough around the system centre, it said.

Under the influence of the system, widespread rain, wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy falls are likely in Gwadar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Khuzdar, Kalat and Panjgur districts of Balochistan till the night of October 3 (Sunday).

Scattered rain, wind/thunderstorm expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Dadu andJamshoro, Thaparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, TandoAllayar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushero Feroz, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur districts till tomorrow.

The department added that sea conditions would remain rough till October 3 (Sunday) and advised fishermen to refrain from venturing out into the water until then.

"Heavy rains may generate urban flooding in Lasbela, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Turbat and Jiwani. Windstorm may damage vulnerable structures," it added.

It said that the PMD Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, Karachi was closely monitoring the system and urged authorities concerned in Balochistan to remain alert.

In an update shared earlier today, the PMD had said that the depression over the northeast Arabian Sea had moved west-northwestward during the last 12 hours and had concentrated into a "deep depression".

It had also warned of the possibility of urban flooding in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad, Dadu, Mirpurkhas. However, this prediction was not included in the latest update.

Public holiday announced in Karachi

A public holiday has been announced in Karachi for today (October 1) as the threat of a tropical cyclone and torrential still looms.

The decision was shared by Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab late on Thursday night.

"Keeping in view the situation resulting from the expected tropical cyclone and the rainfall, it has been decided that Friday will be a public holiday," he said.

He added that all offices, educational institutions and businesses, apart from essential services, will remain closed in the metropolitan city. An official notification was also issued by the Karachi commissioner.

City life on edge

On Thursday, city life remained on the edge due to scattered rainfall and strong winds that uprooted several structures, including poles.

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) also issued a red alert ahead of the tropical cyclone, while all the civic bodies and Sindh government declared a rain emergency in their respective departments.

Sardar Sarfaraz of the Met office described Thursday’s weather as mostly normal. He termed “the situation still serious if the system doesn’t turn into a cyclone.”

“It’s expected to induce widespread rains and high winds as it moves closer to our coast. The weather system would likely to turn into deep depression by night and then into a cyclone by 11am to 12pm on Friday,” he said.

Most parts of the city received downpour in different hours of the day, but none of them could get countable rain and only traces were found in the city areas.