Heavy rain threat subsides, says PMD

The weatherman had been crying wolf for days about an impending storm, scaring the wits out of the governemnt and the public, only to declare on Tuesday that the threat was over.

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.

Korangi received the highest rainfall at 37.1mm in the past 24 hours, followed by Gulshan-e-Hadeed with 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 today (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.