KARACHI: Heavy downpours lashed Karachi and several districts of Sindh on Sunday as a low-pressure system in the Arabian Sea intensified into a depression, triggering the 10th spell of monsoon rains in the province.
In Karachi, torrential rains hit Malir, Shah Latif, North Karachi, and Bahria Town in the afternoon, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The Meteorological Department said the rains are expected to continue until September 11.
Other districts, including Thatta, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Nooriabad, and Ghaghar Phatak, also experienced heavy rainfall. In Umerkot, a 10-foot-wide breach in a canal raised fears of flooding in nearby villages.
The Met Office reported that a rain-bearing system is currently positioned over southwestern Rajasthan, India, with monsoon winds pushing into Sindh under its influence. Low-lying areas in Thatta and Sujawal were submerged, while flooding was also reported in parts of Gujo.
In Mirpurkhas, intermittent rain damaged sugarcane, cotton, chilli, and tomato crops in surrounding areas. The Met Office has forecast further rains in Kashmore, Sukkur, and Jacobabad, warning of waterlogging in Karachi, Thatta, Badin, and Hyderabad, and possible urban flooding in Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Khairpur, and Sukkur.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also issued a warning of heavy rains across southeastern Sindh between September 7 and 10, cautioning of urban flooding in low-lying coastal areas. It further warned of potential flash floods in streams and hill torrents across the Kirthar Ranges, as well as in Balochistan’s Lasbela and Khuzdar districts.
Rains are also forecast in Koh-e-Sulaiman and southern Punjab, where localised flooding is possible, the NDMA said.
