Fourth monsoon spell begins in Sindh

Different cities of Sindh, including Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Umarkot received the first showers as the fourth monsoon spell began in the province on Saturday.

The port city of Karachi is likely to start receiving rains later today, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast. Intermittent showers were reported, however, in the early morning hours from different parts of the city.

The Met Office forecast that the metropolis will receive light and moderate rain till August 8 and heavy rains/thunderstorms from August 10 to 15.

Meanwhile, rains were also reported from different cities of Balochistan, including Chaman. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a flood warning for east Balochistan starting today.

According to the Met Office, heavy rains are also expected in Kashmir, Islamabad and northeastern Punjab till August 9. Low-lying areas in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Gujranwala are feared to be left inundated while flooding of rivers and nullahs is also anticipated.

Waterlogging in Sindh

According to an earlier PMD prediction, rain-thunderstorms with a few moderate/heavy falls are expected from August 5 to August 9 in different cities of Sindh.

Under the influence of this weather system, a wet spell is expected in Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Hyderabad, Matiari, Thatta, Sujawal, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Ghotki and Kashmore.

The Met Office said in its advisory that heavy falls may cause waterlogging in the low-lying areas of Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, and Dadu Jamshoro, and Kambar Shahdadkot districts during the forecast period.

It directed all the relevant authorities and stakeholders to take all necessary mitigation measures including:

• Ensure early warning mechanism for evacuation of vulnerable populations in areas/districts in case of flash flooding
• Ensure availability of dewatering machines and the staff during rainfall
• Improve coordination with emergency services, also with various line departments
• Ensure provision of water and necessary emergency medicines to the general public during emergency
• Stockpile necessary relief/medicine stores especially in affected areas
• Keeping the machinery on standby for plugging in breeches to drainage network/canals
• Emergency services and ambulances with trained paramedics to remain available round the clock.