Met office predicts 'heavy rains' in Karachi this week

The prediction comes a day after the forecaster ruled out heavy rains and suggested 'light drizzle' in the city

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted “widespread rain-thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls” in Karachi and other parts of Sindh this week, a day after dispelling any concerns about 'heavy rains' and instead forecasting 'light drizzle' in the metropolis.

On Friday, the authority said "heavy rains were not expected in Karachi" in the upcoming days, adding "light drizzle was expected in the city from January 5 to 6."

However in a new weather outlook issued on Saturday, it said that a strong westerly wave would enter North Balochistan from January 3, which would "gradually likely spread over the central and upper Sindh, and then almost whole of Pakistan."

Under the influence of this weather system, the Met office added, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot & TharParker distts would receive widespread rain-thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls on January 5-6.

Also read: Met office dispels concerns of heavy rains in Karachi

It further said that heavy falls were also likely to occur in Dadu, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Qambar, and Shahdkot districts from January 4 to 6.

On December 27, the first spell of winter rains intensified cold weather in Karachi. Heavy and light rains were recorded early in the morning in different areas of the city, including in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Sharea Faisal, Malir, Model Colony, Kharadar, Garden and Qayyumabad.

The weather forecaster had stated that the highest rainfall (5mm) was recorded in Quaidabad, whereas 4mm was recorded at the airport and (3mm) in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. It had also said the city was going to be in the grips of a cold wave, which expected to last till January 5.

It had earlier said that most areas of the country would experience rain-spell and snowfall under the effect of a "strong westerly weather system".