More misery as rains lash Karachi, lower Sindh

PMD says more showers expected over next 24 hours

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI: Parts of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, received moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorm on Wednesday in the third spell of monsoon rains in the province.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the intensity of the latest monsoon system is moderate, with the sun shining bright in some of the areas during rain while in others it remained partially cloudy.

It also issued a second alert regarding the current spell of rains, according to which the monsoon system is present in the west of Rajasthan, India, and in the east of Sindh.

In Karachi, the current spell started on Wednesday in the suburbs of Karachi with intermittent and heavy rainfall in the areas of Super Highway, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Sohrab Goth, Power House, North Nazimabad, SITE Industrial Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Hassan Square, Stadium Road, Saddar and Landhi.

The heaviest rainfall, according to the Met department, has been recorded in North Karachi, which received 32 millimetres (mm), while 28mm was recorded in Saddar, 19.8mm in Gulistan-e-Johar, 11.8mm in Surjani Town, 8.2mm at Jinnah Terminal and 7.5mm in Landhi.

The temperature also dropped significantly, with mercury dipping below 30 degrees in the evening.

Similar scenes were reported in Karachi, with rainwater flooding roads and inundating avenues in areas that received heavy rain. It also affected traffic flow while power disruptions were also reported from across the city.

At least one person was reported killed in a roof collapse incident in Mehran Town, according to local police. Meanwhile, five others, including women and children, were injured in separate incidents in the remits of Baloch Colony and Shah Faisal Colony police stations.

The rest of Sindh

Heavy rain and thunderstorm, accompanied by strong winds, lashed Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions on Wednesday evening. The rainfall started after a hot and humid day where the mercury touched the 40 degree Celsius mark.

The highest amount of rainfall was recorded in Mirpurkhas district, which had received 36mm rain by 6pm on Wednesday. Both Tharparkar and Islamkot received 17mm rain, 14mm was recorded in Kaloi, 5mm in Badin and 3mm in Hyderabad with more rain expected over the next 24 hours.

The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), which powers 13 districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions, suspended the electric supply across the region for safety purposes, spokesperson Sadiq Kubar said.

He said that power supply would be restored once the rain stops and the technical staff of Hesco gives the go-ahead to resume supply.

PMD Director Shahid Abbas, who is the acting chief meteorologist, said that the low pressure system formed in the Bay of Bengal will leave an effect in the form of heavy rainfall in different districts of Sindh and moderate level rainfall in Karachi.

He said light and moderate rain is expected in the next 36 hours and that the intensity of this system would start decreasing from around noon on August 30.