Web Desk
Pakistan Meteorological Department has said that there is no threat to any of the coastal area of Pakistani from the Cyclone storm Gulab that developed in Bay of Bengal this week.
“The Cyclonic Storm “GULAB” over west-central Bay of Bengal moved westward and started land-falling along North Andhra Pradesh-Orissa coast, India at 1500PST. Reaching over land, the system is likely to weaken into a depression first and then a well-marked low-pressure area and track Northwestward (towards Indian Gujarat coast),” according to an advisory issued by the department on Sunday evening.
Gulab is the third cyclone of year 2021 after Tauktae and Yaas that had formed in May this year and the first in the month of September since 2018. Its name was proposed by Pakistan.
“The formation of a cyclonic storm in September is a bit unusual as they normally occur in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period,” said Sardar Sarfraz, the Karachi-based meteorologist.
“This means they generally occur between April and June or in the months of October and November. Also, the long monsoon spell in September is unusual given the historical minimal contribution of September in monsoon. But, this helped meet our water shortages as August went into deficit across the country,” he explained.
The cyclone data (1990-2021) of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), shows that only 14 cyclones developed during September with just three storms between 2011-2021 (excluding cyclone Gulab).
There were two cyclonic storms in 2018 and one in 2011.
According to IMD, the system intensified from low pressure (wind speed less than 34kms/hr) to a deep depression (wind speed 51 to 61kms/hr) in less than 48 hours.
