Karachi to remain mostly cloudy, rain-bearing system shifts axis to K-P, Punjab

The chance for significant rainfall in Karachi decreased on Thursday after the western disturbance, which caused extremely heavy rainfall in Gulf countries and Balochistan, shifted its axis towards Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. 

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the port city will remain mostly overcast today with a possibility of scattered light showers and the temperature is expected to remain between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius. 

Karachi received moderate to heavy downpours on April 14 which turned the weather pleasant.

However, back-to-back westerlies have wreaked havoc in K-P and Balochistan. 

Balochistan has reeled from devastating floods as it braced for another wet spell, starting Thursday (today), which could bring heavy downpours accompanied by thunderstorms and hailstorms, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday.

Read K-P, Balochistan battle historical rains, storms and floods

Overall at least 65 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 28 killed in lightning strikes, across the country, according to the media reports, with rain so far in April falling at nearly twice the historical average rate for the month.

The largest death toll was in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), where 32 people have died, including 15 children, and more than 1,300 homes have been damaged. Nearly, two-dozen people, including farmers harvesting wheat, were killed by lightning in Punjab, the reports said.

In Balochistan, recent heavy rainfall unleashed devastating flash floods across the province's coastal belt, wreaking havoc in Gwadar, Pasni, and other areas. Gwadar bore the brunt of the onslaught, with nearly all public and private buildings submerged under the deluge.

In Pasni and surrounding regions, communities found themselves grappling with the catastrophic aftermath of the floods. The floods spared neither schools nor homes, leaving education institutions submerged and countless residences damaged.

The scale of destruction is staggering, with 40 homes completely destroyed and 80 others partially damaged by the ferocious downpour. The floods also wreaked havoc with infrastructure, leaving roads and highways impassable, thus disrupting traffic and communication networks.

The true extent of the damage will become evident, once the water recedes. Currently, efforts are under way to provide relief and support to those impacted by the calamity, emphasising the urgent need for solidarity in the face of nature's fury.