Karachi rains threat eases as Arabian Sea depression weakens: PMD

Met office says system continues to move west, southwest and will likely weaken further by Wednesday night or Thursday

The threat of heavy downpours in Karachi has diminished as the deep depression over the Arabian Sea weakened back into a depression and is expected to further downgrade into a low-pressure area within the next few hours, said the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

According to the Early Warning Centre of PMD, the system continues to move west and southwest and will likely weaken further by Wednesday night or Thursday.

While the possibility of torrential rain has ended, PMD forecasts light to moderate showers accompanied by thunder in Karachi on Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, several areas of the city received intermittent spells of light to moderate rain, but no heavy downpour was recorded.

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Surjani Town received the highest rainfall at 116mm in the past 24 hours, followed by Korangi with 37.1mm, Gulshan-e-Hadeed 33mm, Gulshan-e-Maimar 17.1mm, Keamari 17mm, North Karachi 16.6mm, Airport (Old Area) 14.9mm, University Road 14mm, Nazimabad 12.4mm, Jinnah Terminal 8mm, PAF Base Masroor 6mm, and PAF Base Faisal 2mm.

Other areas including Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Malir, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Saddar, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Lyari, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and Old City neighborhoods also witnessed scattered rainfall.

PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazir Zaigham said the weather system is expected to weaken further over the next 24 to 36 hours before moving into Balochistan. Rainfall in the catchment areas is likely to raise water levels in Hub Dam.

According to the Early Warning Centre, heavy rainfall is still likely on Wednesday in Dadu, Jamshoro, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Umerkot, Matiari, and Tando Mohammad Khan. Thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rainfall are also expected in Larkana, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, and Shaheed Benazirabad districts.

Meanwhile, PMD reported medium-level flooding at Guddu Barrage and low-level flooding at Sukkur and Kotri barrages. On Tuesday, Karachi's minimum temperature was recorded at 26.1°C and the maximum at 29.4°C.