ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) announced on Monday that cyclonic storm Shakhti over the Arabian Sea has weakened in severity, though it is still expected to trigger isolated rainfall across the coastal belts of Sindh and Balochistan today.
The weather system, which originated as a deepening depression over the Arabian Sea on Friday before quickly intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm, is now on a dissipating trajectory. An 11 am update from the PMD confirmed that the “severe cyclonic storm Shakhti over west central and adjoining northwest of the Arabian Sea has weakened into a cyclonic storm during the last six hours.”
Maritime Warning and Movement
The system is now forecasted to track east-southeastwards over the same region and is likely to further weaken into a depression within the next 24 hours. Under its residual influence, isolated rain is anticipated in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.
Crucially, the PMD warned that sea conditions will remain rough near the Sindh coast due to squally winds gusting up to 90 kilometres per hour. Fishermen have been strongly advised not to venture into the deep sea until tomorrow. While sea conditions over the broader North-West and West-Central Arabian Sea will remain “very rough to high and then very high,” the severity is expected to abate gradually after the next 24 hours.
Infrastructure Impact and Preparedness
Inland, heavy rains, separate from the immediate coastal storm effects, have disrupted electricity supply in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Peshawar Electric Supply Corporation (Pesco) reported that 113 feeders in areas like Peshawar, Mardan, and Nowshera had developed faults. While 55 have been repaired, Pesco field staff has been placed on high alert to manage the ongoing infrastructure challenges.
Meanwhile, preparedness in the coastal areas remains a priority. On Sunday, security forces and local volunteers successfully rescued over a dozen fishing boats that had been trapped by high tides linked to the cyclone. Balochistan’s Provincial Secretary for Fisheries, Tariq Qamar Baloch, confirmed that all field officers were on high alert and maintaining close coordination with the Pakistan Navy, Levies Force, and local administration to monitor the volatile situation.
