Will it rain in Karachi today?

KARACHI: The city dawned under overcast skies on Monday, with a blanket of clouds hanging over the metropolis and stirring anticipation among residents about the possibility of rain in the hours ahead.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the weather is expected to remain partly cloudy and humid in Karachi during the next 24 hours.

The Met Office noted that there is also a possibility of light drizzle occurring in the morning hours as well as later at night today.

According to the PMD, the maximum temperature in the city could rise as high as 32 to 34 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature that was recorded stood at 28 degrees. The department further observed that humidity levels in the air were measured at 78%, creating a damp atmosphere across the city. It added that south-westerly sea breezes were continuing to blow at a speed of 19 kilometres per hour.

Meanwhile, parts of Punjab, already reeling under severe floods, are also expected to receive heavy precipitation for a few days, starting from today.

The forecast comes against the backdrop of heavy rainfall that struck Karachi last month, when devastating downpours inundated neighbourhoods, disrupted daily life, and caused the loss of at least 10 lives. Casualties were reported in incidents of electrocution, drowning, and wall collapses as floodwaters spread through the city.

Traffic was paralysed on major arteries such as Sharea Faisal, University Road, and II Chundrigar Road, where waterlogged streets caused vehicles to break down.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), last week, issued a rain alert for several parts of the country, cautioning that Karachi may again face possible urban flooding between 30 August and 2 September.

Pakistan is battling torrential monsoon rains that have unleashed flash floods, swelled rivers, and filled dams, with more than 800 deaths reported since late June. Amid the heavy rains, India continues to release excess water this week from its dams, swelling river flows downstream in Punjab.