Sudden, heavy rain chokes Karachi, flooding roads, bringing traffic to a standstill

KARACHI: Pakistan's southern port city received yet another bout of very stormy rainfall Sunday afternoon, flooding most of the metropolis' roads and bringing traffic to a standstill.

Heavy rain — with stormy winds — lashed a large part of the city, including Dhoraji, P.E.C.H.S., Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Tipu Sultan Road, Jail Chowrangi, Gulistan-e-Johar, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal, among others.

Apart from that, heavy showers were also experienced in North Karachi, Nagan Chowrangi, Buffer Zone, Malir Halt, Liaquatabad, F.B. Area, New Sabzi Mandi, Sohrab Goth, and Manzoor Colony.

Rain started early evening in Mehmoodabad, Old City Area, Saddar, Kharadar, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Abdullah Haroon Road, Malir, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Defence View, Lyari, Keamari, Orangi Town, Landhi, and Korangi.

Protest adds to rain issues

The rain added to Karachi commuters' woes as the portion of Shahrah-e-Faisal from Nursery onwards to Karsaz was blocked for a protesters' rally organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

Addressing the crowd of the Azadi March here in the city, JI leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said: "Allah gave us the ability to come out for Kashmiris in this rain. We feel the pain of the Ummat, which is why we are standing here united."

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the highest rainfall during two hours of showers was recorded in Surjani Town at 40 millimetres (mm), while 38mm in North Karachi, 19mm in Nazimabad, 16mm in PAF Base Faisal, 10mm in Saddar, and 7mm at University Road and surroundings.

Forecast of more heavy rain

On the other hand, there was a forecast of more heavy rain in Karachi during the next 24 hours, the PMD said. It noted that the high levels of humidity and heat — especially in the north east of the Arabian Sea — strengthened the rain system and led to the sudden and heavy rains.

PMD director Sardar Faraz said the rain was expected to continue till afternoon tomorrow (Monday).

Faraz mentioned that the low wind pressure in Indian Gujarat had added to the system and, therefore, rain was expected tonight in Thar, Mirpurkhas, Thatta, and Badin.

Earlier, the PMD had said brief but strong spell of rain — with lightning and thunder — was to lash Karachi for two hours and forecasted it to continue intermittently.

According to the PMD, thunderous rain, with strong winds, are likely to lash at isolated places in Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Hyderabad.

Weather experts said the expectation of light-to-moderate rain was 75 percent, whereas that of heavy rain expectation, with lightning and thunder, in some places was 60 percent.

Sindh CM issues warning

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, in this regard, said the district administration and the municipal institutions need to be united. "Water Board needs to unite its employees in the city," he said.

Draining the rainwater should be ensured as soon as the rain ends, the CM advised, appealing people to stay away from utility poles.

On the other hand, a spokesperson for Karachi's sole power supplier, K-Electric, also spoke on the issue. They said precaution was necessary in the rain season and advised people to stay away from broken wires, electric poles, and pad-mounted transformers (PMTs).

The KE spokesperson also noted that people needed to monitor their children and make sure they remained safe. "Do not touch electrical appliances barefoot or with wet hands," they said, adding not to use illegal methods to obtain power.

Separately, storms with thunder and heavy rain were also reported in Lahore, Ghotki, Daharki, Vihari, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Jahanian, Chambar, Hangu, Naukot, Shaheed Sikandarabad, Sohrab, Faisalabad, Khanewal, Mirpur Mathelo, Hub, Shah Noorani, Ghotki, and Hyderabad, with low-lying areas in most of the cities flooded.

In Lahore, where 78mm of rainfall was recorded in many areas, four people died when the wall of a house in Salamatpura collapsed.