Cloudburst drenches several city neighbourhoods

After braving a grueling heat for weeks, Karachiites experienced a welcome change in weather on Tuesday as monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea brought some respite for the denizens of the metropolitan city which baked in 40-plus degrees non-stop.

The downpour inundated low-lying areas as roads were swamped, triggering traffic snarls in several neighbourhoods. The sky was overcast with dark clouds which dumped moderate to heavy rain in various neighbourhoods of the city. Suburbs witnessed strong winds gusting up to 50km/h.

Surjani Town recorded the highest rainfall at 58.2mm. Other notable rainfalls were observed in Old Airport (31 mm), Orangi Town (30 mm), and University Road (19.8 mm).

Apart from these, other areas of the city, including Gulshan-e-Hadid, Sharae Faisal, Federal B Area, Saddar, II Chandragar Road, Gadap Town, Sumanabad, Gulshan-e-Maymar, North Karachi, Garden West, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Hasan Square, North Nazimabad, Pehlwan Goth, Tariq Road, Jail Road, and Old Sabzi Mandi also received moderate and heavy rain.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasts light rain and drizzle continuing into Wednesday evening, with partly cloudy skies and intermittent light rain expected on Thursday. Occasional winds are also anticipated during this period.

Before the rainfall, Karachi had been experiencing hot and humid weather, with stagnant sea breezes exacerbating the heat. The rain initially started in Gulistan-e-Jauhar before spreading across the megalopolis. Strong winds accompanied the downpour, particularly in Surjani Town and various neighbourhoods. The highest temperature recorded on Tuesday was 38.5 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels reaching 85 per cent.

Power supply

Meanwhile, power supply to the city remained stable on Tuesday during the first scattered showers of the monsoon spell. Utility staff vigilantly monitored the situation and ensured network stability with uninterrupted power supply through 1800 of KE’s city-wide network of 2,100 feeders.

According to the KE spokesperson, the remaining areas included those where the electricity supply was temporarily shut down owing to safety risks presented by a prevalence of kundas or potential waterlogging.

Power supply to these areas was also restored as soon as weather conditions subsided, and clearance was given by KE field teams.

KE teams remain proactively engaged with key departments of Sindh government, PMD and the city administration to ensure smooth coordination for the city, amid forecasts of a monsoon season bringing above-average rainfall to the country.