KARACHI, Sept 23: Authorities on Saturday braced for a cyclone in the Arabian Sea that meteorologists said was likely to hit the country’s two coastal towns in the next 24 hours.

The towns of Badin and Thatta were put on high alert and officials warned people to move away from the coast to safer ground.

“The cyclone has moved its position to the southeast posing threat to Thatta and Badin, but Karachi is safe,” Pakistan’s meteorological department official Arif Mehmood told AFP.

Thatta is 80km southeast of Karachi and Badin is 170km southeast of Karachi.

The Met office said that tropical cyclone 04A named Mukda over East Central Arabian Sea has been quasi- stationary during the last 12 hours.

It pointed out that at 0800 hours the cyclone Was about 450km away.

It is likely to intensify further and initially move slowly in northeasterly direction towards Gujarat coast.

Under its influence, scattered rains/thundershowers associated with gusty winds are expected in lower Sindh during the next 12 hours and after that the rains may become widespread accompanied with strong winds gusting to 70-90 km/hour.

The sea conditions are likely to become very rough. Fishermen of southern-most coast of Sindh have been advised not to venture in open sea beyond 10km on Saturday and return to their bases by evening and for Sunday latest, the Met office advisory said.

Fishermen of Karachi coast, however, can continue their activities upto 50km during the next 18 hours.

In Mirpurkhas, District Coordination Officer Mirpurkhas on Saturday declared high alert in the district in the wake of tropical storm.

He asked police, administration and fire brigade to remain alert to cope with any eventuality in Digri, Mirwah, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Mirpurkhas, Nau Kot and other adjhoining areas. —Agencies