Heavy rains lashed several areas of Karachi on Tuesday, finally breaking the heat wave that has gripped the city for the last three days.
Downpours in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Malir, Baldia Town, Nursery, Sher Shah and North Karachi left roads completely inundated with water and blocked the flow of traffic, even as residents of the city rejoiced at some respite from the scorching heat.
Severe traffic jams were reported on II Chundrigar Road and Shara-e-Faisal, and water accumulated in low-lying areas. The Met Office said 28 millimetres of rain had been recorded in the airport area. Chief Meteorologist Muhammed Riaz said that this was a moderate spell and was expected to last till Wednesday. The Met Office also said the maximum temperature would remain in the range of 32 to 34 degrees Celsius.
The Edhi Information Bureau said that a man identified as Waseem, 25, was electrocuted to death near KDA Chowrangi, North Nazimabad. No other incident of loss of life or property has been reported so far from any part of the city.
Meanwhile, rains and flooded nullahs caused havoc across Sanghar district. Farmers in the town of Sarhari dug under railway tracks to let rainwater pass, weakening them significantly, which could result in a major accident. In the Faizgunj tehsil of Khairpur district, devastating rains and breaches in numerous canals have put the area at risk of major flooding. The army has been called in to help the affected people and has started helping people drain floodwater.
Khairpur District Coordination Officer Muhammed Abbas Baloch said that because of heavy rains over the last several days and breaches in a number of canals, the situation in Faizgunj tehsil had become dangerous and the army was called in for help. He said soldiers had installed motors in flooded areas to pump out water. He said further that ceaseless rains had destroyed the entire cotton crop while dates and mango farms had also suffered immense damage. He said a detailed report would be sent to the Sindh government with a request to declare Khairpur a calamity-hit district.
The Met Office said the heavy rainfall may cause further urban and flash flooding in Sindh and southern Punjab. It said the current spell of heavy rains in Sindh was very likely to continue, therefore, all authorities concerned were advised to remain alert from September 6 to September 8.
It said widespread heavy rains were expected in Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad, and moderate to heavy rains were expected in Larkana and Karachi. The latest spell of monsoon rains in Sindh has badly affected the standing crops of cotton, sugarcane, onion and vegetables of various varieties.
