At least four have died and seven received injuries in rain-related incidents after dust storms hit Karachi followed by rainfall on Tuesday.
The city saw unprecedented dust storms in the wake of a cyclone in the Arabian Sea that has left dozens dead in neighbouring Indian state of Gujrat.
Due to rains and storms, at least 800 feeders have tripped, plunging several parts of the city into darkness.
The Met Department had said that there would be no rain in Karachi due to the cyclone, but their predictions failed. However, the clouds moved past Karachi after two hours, leaving cool winds and pleasant weather in their wake. The areas that experienced rain and dust storms include Surjani Town, New Karachi, Yousuf Goth, Taisar Town, and Khuda Ki Basti.
A spell of severe hot weather in the port city has come to an end after rainfall with dusty winds. According to Met, the cyclone has “outer reach to our area [ North Karachi], which has caused this dust storm”. He also predicted rainfall in other areas of Karachi in addition to North Karachi.
A dust storm also hit NIPA, Gulshan Iqbal and Gulzar-e-Hijri Scheme-33.
Earlier, the Meteorological Department in its final alert with regard to Cyclone Tauktae had said that the ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae’ after intensifying into an ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm’ crossed Indian Gujrat last night, weakened into a ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’ laying over Rajasthan, India.
A few dust/thunderstorm-rain accompanied with gusty winds of 30-50 Km/h may occur in Tharparker and Umerkot districts during the next 12 hours, Met said. Hot and dry weather would continue in Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed-Banzirabad, Badin, and Mirpurkhas districts on Tuesday, it had added.
It had said sea conditions would remain rough till the evening and fishermen of Sindh were told to avoid the deep sea. They can resume their activities from tomorrow, the weather alert had added.
Arabian Sea Cyclone Tauktae, packing ferocious winds and threatening a destructive storm made landfall in western India. Cyclone Tauktae, according to press reports, is the biggest to hit western India in 30 years, swept over the Arabian Sea with Gujarat state.
