Frist spell of monsoon rains likely to hit Karachi this week

Amid scorching heat, Karachi is likely to receive the first spell of monsoon rains of this season from July 7 (Friday), forecast meteorologist Jawad Memon on Wednesday.

Talking to Geo News, the weatherman said that the first rain spell is expected to continue till July 11, adding that the port city is likely to receive 30 to 40 millimetres of rain during the span.

“Currently, a [monsoon] low pressure lies over the Bay of Bengal,” he revealed. The weather expert said that Karachi is likely to receive showers from July 9-11 if the low-pressure area moves towards Gujarat.

“There is no chance of rain in Karachi, for now,” he added.

Earlier today, incessant showers broke a 30-year-old record when Lahore received over 290mm of rain within a span of 10 hours, resulting in the death of at least seven people, officials said.

"Three people were electrocuted, two died after roofs collapsed, and a child drowned after rainwater accumulated," Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi told journalists in Lahore.

The metropolis received 291mm of rain, during which more than a dozen areas recorded more than 200mm of rain, Commissioner Lahore Mohammad Ali Randhawa said, adding this is happening due to climate change and strong monsoon.

Urban flooding alert issued

The Met department today warned that heavy showers are expected in parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan on July 5-6, which could trigger urban flooding in low-lying areas of the provinces.

In a fresh weather advisory, the Met Office warned that heavy falls may generate urban flooding in low-lying areas in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Kohat, Peshawar, Bannu, Kark, DI Khan, Kasur, Okara, Kohlu, Sibbi, Barkhan, Zhob, Musakhel and other areas. Landslide is also expected in hilly areas, it added.

The weather office said that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are penetrating in upper and central parts of the country. It added that moist currents from the Bay of Bengal are also reaching the upper and central parts of the country.

In addition to this, a westerly wave is also affecting upper and central parts of the country, the PMD said.

The weatherman also said that rains coupled with thundershowers are expected in Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), KP, Islamabad, Pothohar region, upper and central Punjab and Northeast Balochistan today.