Karachi breaks 41-year rainfall record with 38.6mm downpour

Heavy rain with thunder, lightning unlikely in city next 24 hours, drizzle, showers continue overnight

KARACHI:

Karachi recorded its heaviest 24-hour rainfall on Thursday, breaking a 41-year-old record, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed on Friday. The city received 38.6 millimetres of rain, surpassing the previous record of 37.0 millimetres set in 1985.

Rainfall began on the morning of Thursday, April 2, under the influence of a western weather system. By the afternoon, heavy downpours had left streets waterlogged, bringing a marked drop in temperature and making the city’s weather cooler and more pleasant.

Light to heavy spells of rain persisted in some areas for over an hour, and in certain localities, torrential rainfall caused urban flooding. Thick clouds darkened the city even in the afternoon, while hail was reported in areas including Mauripur and Clifton. The Meteorological Department has forecasted partly to fully cloudy skies with light to moderate rain for Friday.

The system, which entered from southwest Balochistan, began affecting Karachi on Wednesday night and continued through Thursday afternoon.

The Meteorological Department has issued a new forecast, noting that the western system has now moved northwards. While heavy rain with thunder and lightning is unlikely in Karachi over the next 24 hours, drizzle and occasional showers may still occur during the night.

The intense rainfall caused significant disruption and fatalities across the country. At least six people died in Karachi, mostly from electrocution, as heavy rain and strong winds inundated roads, low-lying neighbourhoods, and triggered widespread power outages.

Among the victims was 12-year-old Dua Batool, electrocuted inside her home in Surjani Town. Police and rescue teams reported additional electrocution incidents in PIB Colony, SITE Superhighway, and MA Jinnah Road.

Read: New western weather system enters from Balochistan

Structural damage compounded the city’s challenges. In Pak Colony, a two-storey building wall collapsed onto a rickshaw near Old Golimar, killing the driver. In Orangi Town, three children were injured when a wall fell in a separate incident. A hearse bus returning from a burial also lost control near the FTC Flyover, crashing into a wall and injuring one person.

Elsewhere in Sindh, rain contributed to further fatalities. Folk singer Ustad Dilsher Tewno died in a road accident near Ranipur due to slippery conditions, and a woman in Matyari district was electrocuted.

Officials warned that unusual intensity in the western system was responsible for the record-breaking rainfall, reflecting shifting weather patterns in the region. Authorities continue to monitor conditions and advise residents to remain cautious.