Karachi: The cyclone is currently 1,100 kilometers away from Karachi, Chief Meteorologist

Cyclone Nilofar in the Arabian Sea has exaggerated into a 'very severe' tropical cyclone, said the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Chief Meteorologist  Tausif Alam said that the cyclone will start moving towards the north-west and then north-east during the next 12 hours. Section 144, which prohibits bathing in the sea, has been imposed in the coastal areas including Karachi and Badin.

Alam also said that heavy rains will also take place in the coastal areas of Sindh including Karachi, Umer Kot and Keti Bunder. Meanwhile, on the directive of administrator Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), rain emergency centres have been set-up as preventive measures ahead of the expected cyclone.

The emergency centers have been established in district central, district south, district Malir, district east, district west, whereas a central rain emergency center has been setup on the ground floor of the Civic Centre building.

The engineering department has directed the concerned districts chief engineers to monitor preventive measures that have been taken to deal with the cyclone and also to establish rain emergency centers in their respective areas.