Heavy to light rain lash parts of Karachi after sweltering heatwave

KARACHI: Different areas of Karachi experienced heavy to light rain on Friday after residents of the port city experienced sizzling temperatures in the last few days, as two deaths were reported in the port city due to heatstroke a day earlier.

The areas that received showers include Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Surjani, North Karachi, New Karachi, Malir, Cantt, Mosmiyat, Shahrae Faisal, Bahadurabad, Tipu Sultan, Gulshan-e-Maymar and Gadap and others.

For the last few days, the metropolis has been in the grip of a heatwave making life miserable for the masses as they face hours-long unannounced load-shedding despite the power utility's assurances.

The normal temperature in the city in July, as per the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), has been 27.9°C and Tuesday night was the second hottest of this year after July 1 — when the temperature was also 32°C.

Two days earlier, the mercury in the port city reached a sweltering 40.5°C which in reality felt like scorching 56°C.

In a weather forecast today, the Met Office said monsoon currents from Arabian Sea were penetrating southern parts of the country and a westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country.

As per the forecast, rain coupled with thundershower is likely to take place in Sindh, south Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, northeastern Balochistan, Potohar Region, Islamabad and Kashmir.

In addition, heavy falls are expected at isolated places in south Punjab and lower Sindh during the period.