Another rain spell to hit Karachi, other cities from today

KARACHI: A new spell of monsoon rain is expected to hit Karachi and other cities of the country from today (Friday), the MET office said.

The MET office has forecast light to moderate rainfall for Karachi during the next 24 to 48 hours. No severe weather system is likely to affect Karachi during this time period. Northern and eastern parts of Karachi might see isolated heavy rain spell.

The MET office also denied reports on social media of "another intense weather system will grip Karachi on Thursday and Friday".

Moreover, widespread rain and thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls are expected in Hazara, Mardan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Islamabad and Kashmir. Scattered spells of rain are also expected in places in Malakand, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Last week, at least 12 people were killed due to electrocution and various other rain-related incidents in Pakistan's southern port city wreaking havoc in the metropolis and bringing life to a standstill.

The uninterrupted downpour — recorded at almost 200 millimetres (mm) created a critical situation in Karachi. Various areas were hit with severe, hours-long power outages as heavy rain continued in the metropolis and other parts of Sindh.

Major thoroughfares were drowned under several feet of rainwater, with drains and canals in the city overflowing and low-lying residential areas submerged in the water pouring in from the streets outside.