KARACHI: Driven by a favourable environment over the past three days, a deep depression over the southwest Arabian Sea developed into a cyclonic storm and then turned into a severe cyclonic storm on Satur­d­­ay evening, according to a Met department advisory.

Named Tej, the storm poses no threat to Pakistan’s coast.

“The pre- and post-monsoon period is best suited for formation of cyclonic storms on account of fav­ourble conditions, which include an increase in sea surface temperature, low vertical wind shear and upper-level outflow,” chief meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz explained.

Unlike cyclonic storm Biparjoy that formed in the southeast Arabian Sea in June this year, Tej was formed far away in the southwest Arabian Sea, he pointed out.

“It’s likely to move in the northwest direction towards Oman-Yemen, gaining its intensity and then making a landfall on their adjoining coast on the morning of Oct 25,” he said, adding that the storm might get less intense at the time of landfall.

Meanwhile, the department has forecast hot and humid weather in most parts of Sindh, including Karachi where the maximum temperature is likely to range between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius over the next two days.

Published in Dawn, October 22th, 2023