Several areas of Karachi received heavy to light showers on Wednesday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicting the latest spell to last till the weekend.

Data released by the PMD showed that during the last 24 hours, PAF Faisal Base (51 mm) recorded the highest amount of rainfall, followed by Quaidabad (45mm), Jinnah Terminal (35.6mm), old airport area (35mm), Korangi (34.8mm), Gadap Town (34.4mm), DHA Phase 2 (33.9mm), Saddar (33mm), Saadi Town (31.8mm), Surjani Town (28mm), University Road (27mm), Kemaari (26.4mm), Nazimabad (24.4mm), North Karachi (22mm), Orangi Town (19.5mm), Gulshan-i-Maymar (18.1mm), PAF Masroor Base (12.5mm) and Gulshan-i-Hadeed (9mm).

Meanwhile, the rainfall hampered the flow of traffic in the metropolitan city. Karachi Traffic Police said that there was a bottleneck at the route leading from Sharea Faisal to the airport due to water accumulating on the road.

Similarly, traffic jams were reported at major thoroughfares in Malir, Korangi and adjoining areas.

Police said traffic jams were also being reported from Liaquatabad to Teen Hatti, Jinnah Bridge turning to ICI, Karsaz to Pir Bukhari, FTC to Avari, PIB in front of Central Jail, Murshid Bazar, Tibet to Regal, Tibet Chowk, Patel Para, Lasbela Chowk, Denso Hall, Regent Plaza to FTC, Anklesaria Chowk, Shaheed-i-Millat turning and Nagan Chowrangi.

Meanwhile, K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana shared an update about the power situation at 4:30pm, saying that 200 out of the city's 1,900 feeders were shut down for safety.

He also shared a list of the areas where power was restored.

Rana said the affected areas were mainly those where the risk of waterlogging or high prevalence of illegal power connections made use of safety protocols unavoidable. He requested people to maintain a safe distance from electric infrastructure with more rainfall expected.

More rain expected till Sunday

Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz told DawnNewsTV that light to heavy rain was expected in several areas of the city in the evening and at night, adding that there were strong chances of Karachi witnessing a heavy downpour from Friday (August 12) to Sunday (August 14).

Meanwhile, the PMD forecast said monsoon currents would continue to penetrate Sindh and were expected to become stronger from August 11 (tomorrow).

Showers may continue to gain intensity and become widespread until August 14, it added.

Under the influence of this monsoon system, "rain-thunderstorms with few moderate falls are expected in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Matiari, Thatta, Sujawal, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Jamshoro and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts", as well as Karachi division, the PMD said.

It warned of waterlogging and urban flooding in the low-lying areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Larkana and Sukkur districts during the forecast period.

The Met department also said that the intensity of the rainfall would increase from August 12 (Friday) in the northeastern and southern districts of Balochistan, triggering flashfloods in Dadu, Jamshoro, Qambar-Shahdadkot districts and downstream.

And persistent heavy rains over Khuzdar, Lasbela and Hub district, as well as Kirthar Range in Balochistan, may create extra pressure on Hub Dam, Thado Dam and downstream, the PMD said.

Anticipating heavy rains in Karachi at the start of the week, the Met Office had issued an urban flooding warning for the metropolis and other cities of Sindh on Monday.

Country sees 180pc more rains in wettest July since 1961

Last week, the PMD said in Pakistan’s Monthly Climate Summary for July that with the monsoon season expected to last two months, the country had already witnessed record rains last month when the national rainfall was recorded at 181 per cent above average, making this July the wettest since 1961.

The PMD said this year’s monsoon set on in the country from June 30, a day before its normal onset date when strong moist currents from the Arabian Sea started penetrating into southern Sindh from July 1.

“National rainfall for the month of July 2022 was largely (181pc) above average and stood as record wettest July since 1961,” it said, adding that the previous month’s rainfall alone exceeded the total normal monsoon seasonal rainfall by 26pc.

Balochistan and Sindh received 450pc and 308pc more rainfall than average, it said. The above-average figure was 116pc in Punjab, 32pc in Gilgit-Baltistan and 30pc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The wettest day of the month in the country was July 25, when Badin (Sindh) recorded 219mm (of rainfall), whereas PAF Masroor (Karachi) remained the wettest place with a monthly total of 606mm,” it said.

According to the PMD summary, the country witnessed three widespread rainy spells in July, considered to be the wettest month of the year.