• No change in intensity of weather system, says Met official
• Maximum wind speed was 67km per hour at Masroor Base
• Schools across Sindh to open today: govt

KARACHI: A powerful weather system that was gradually moving closer to the Sindh’s coast made its presence felt early on Tuesday morning with a windstorm and heavy showers lashing the city, disrupting life and damaging civic infrastructure.

The episode followed a rain spell in parts of the city late Monday night.

According to the meteorological department, the maximum wind speed was recorded in Masroor Base 67km/hour and Faisal Base 52km/hour.

On Tuesday, the maximum rainfall of 58mm was recorded in Gulshan-i-Hadeed followed by Quaidabad with 52mm, Surjani Town 43.6mm, North Karachi 30mm, Nazimabad 26mm, Gulshan-i-Maymar 17mm, Kemari and Faisal Base 16mm (each) and University Road 15.6mm.

The data of other areas: Korangi 14.6mm, Saddar 13mm, old airport area 12.6mm, Jinnah Terminal 11.2mm, DHA and Bin Qasim 11mm (each), Gadap 10mm, Orangi Town 7mm and Masroor Base 5mm.

The data of rest of Sindh: Chachro 42mm, Mirpurkhas 41mm, Mithi and Diplo 40mm (each), Nagarparkar 38mm, Klohi 33mm, Thatta 26mm, Dahli 21mm, PAF Bholari 19mm, Islamkot 16mm, Chhor 15.3mm, Sakrand and Sanghar 15mm each, Hyderabad 13mm, Tando Jam 7.5mm and Shaheed Benazirabad 4mm.

“There is no change in the intensity of the weather system that is likely to reach eastern Sindh from Indian Gujarat late night or on Wednesday morning,” shared a Met department official.

The department’s advisory has forecast widespread rain/wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy-very heavy to isolated extremely heavy falls in Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari, Umarkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Banazirabad districts and Karachi division with occasional gaps till Aug 31.

“Rain/wind-thunderstorms with few heavy to isolated very heavy falls are likely in Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Kashmore, Qambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, Naushahro Feroze, Jacobabad and Shikarpur districts with occasional gaps,” it says.

Man dies from electrocution

A young man died from electrocution in Nazimabad on Tuesday, police and doctors said.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that 20-year-old Abdul Wahab was brought dead to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from Nazimabad. He got an electric shock due to which he died.

Nazimabad SHO Amjad Husain said that the youth suffered an electric shock when he was doing some electrical work at a shop during rains.

Schools open today

Meanwhile, the weather situation forced several schools to close down on Tuesday, while attendance remained thin in colleges and universities.

The government, however, didn’t announce closure of schools on Wednesday over the looming threat of heavy downpour and urban flooding in Karachi.

“The government has yet not decided to close schools and other educational institutions on Wednesday in the wake of heavy rain forecast in the province,” Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said, adding that a cell had been set up at Chief Minister House to tackle any emergency.

Meanwhile, the Sindh education department also denied reports about closure of schools on Wednesday over social media.

In a statement it said all government and private schools would remain open on Wednesday.

Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday said that all administrative and municipal staff, along with pumps and other machinery, would continue to serve people on roads during the rainfall in the metropolis.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2024