KARACHI: Metropolitan city Karachi received the first spell of this year’s monsoon rains early Monday morning, turning the weather pleasant amid the hot summer season.
The city only received an average of 10-11 millimetres of rain in its first spell. However, the met office has predicted heavy rain from July 15 (Thursday). The rain spell started in Karachi before the prediction date.
According to the hospital sources, a young man in Madina Colony died from electrocution, while accidents caused by inundated roads injured four people in incidents following the downpour.
According to Karachi Met Director Sardar Sarfaraz, light to moderate rains may continue intermittently today while heavy showers are expected at night. The official said that monsoon winds entered via Indian Gujarat, causing rain in the metropolis.
Some of the city’s areas that received rainfall include Malir, Landhi, II Chundrigar Road — and its surrounding areas—, Steel Town, Yaseenabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Saddar, Numaish, Old City Area, Gadap, University Road and Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
“Clouds are likely to fall in Tharparkar and surrounding areas on July 12,” the Met Office had said in a statement on Saturday. Karachi could expect light rain on July 12 before the first spell of monsoons officially begins.
Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has blamed the weather department for not predicting today’s rain in the metropolis.
Shah ordered the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, DMCs and KMC to ensure timely drainage of rainwater from the city’s roads and low-lying areas.
He said choking points should be cleared on a priority basis. Shah issued orders to monitor slums, dilapidated buildings and floods in nullahs closely. “District administrations should visit their areas for timely assistance to the people, he said.
The power supply was suspended in various areas of the city due to the rain. Karachi-Electric (KE) said it was monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said that the flight operations are normal at the Jinnah International Airport amid rains in the city.
It said that as a precautionary measure, directions had been issued to tie up the mall planes to protect them from accidents.
Similarly, in Abbottabad, the city’s lowlands were left submerged due to the downpour. Three people injured, while 62 were rescued in separate incidents after rainwater entered houses.
At least 50 birds died after the office of the city’s wildlife department flooded.
