Parts of Karachi experienced just little rain on Thursday morning, but the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted significant rains across the nation over the following several days.
On Wednesday, the Met Office predicted moderate rainfall in various districts of Sindh, including Karachi. The weather had been dry across most of the province. However, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported that Sukkur, Rohri, Larkana, and Jacobabad districts got traces of rainfall.
According to the latest weather forecast, Karachi will experience just light rain/showers, Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz stated on Thursday.
According to a rainfall report provided this morning, Keamari, North Karachi, and the Airport Old Area saw “traces” of rainfall, but the rest of the city experienced little rain by 8 a.m.
Meanwhile, at 8 a.m., one millimeter of rain had been observed in Larkana district, with traces in Mohenjo Daro. Other districts of Sindh did not receive notable rainfall.
The PMD issued a three-day weather forecast today, predicting “thunderstorm/rain of light to moderate intensity” on Thursday in Jamshoro, Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Kambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, Khairpur, Sukkur, and Ghotki districts, as well as the Karachi division.
In Karachi, the weather was anticipated to be “mainly cloudy with chances [of] light rain/drizzle” today, with “fair/partly cloudy” conditions expected tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.
Temperatures in the metropolis were expected to hover between 30-32 degrees Celsius today and tomorrow, peaking at 34 degrees Celsius on Saturday. The lowest temperature was expected to dip to 26.5°C today and remain between 24-27°C in the coming days, according to the prediction.
Separately, the Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a weather advisory, requesting that all deputy commissioners and district authorities take the appropriate precautions, including guaranteeing the availability of dewatering machinery and workers during rains.
It directed that emergency services and ambulances staffed by certified paramedics be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that a hotline cell be formed to prioritize the needs of impacted persons.
The PDMA also instructed the authorities to remove dangerous billboards, fallen trees, and unsecured electric cables and poles.
It encouraged the public to pay attention to weather alerts, keep windows and doors closed, avoid sitting near windows, stay away from power lines, and avoid driving in heavy rain. Citizens were also advised to avoid underpasses, drainage ditches, low-lying locations, and water-collection sites, as well as parking near walls and fragile buildings.
Balochistan, KP
Meanwhile, severe downpours persisted in Balochistan, with Gwadar receiving the most rainfall (80mm) in the previous 24 hours, according to a PMD bulletin provided at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Other port towns saw comparable weather during the period, with Ormara, Pasni, and Jiwani receiving 77mm, 66mm, and 40mm of rainfall, respectively. Rain fell in Panjgur (15mm), Quetta (City 12mm and Samungli 15mm), as well as Kalat and Turbat (11mm).
On Wednesday, rescue and relief activities were underway as the province, which was already dealing with flooding, saw home collapses and national highway damage.
Over the last several days, continuous rains and thunderstorms have pummeled numerous regions of the nation, causing floods and fatalities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively.
Since Friday, lightning strikes and other storm-related accidents have killed more than 60 people across the country.
In KP, the PDMA issued an alert on Wednesday, warning nine district administrations about glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and requesting that glaciers be monitored on a regular basis.
Most of the nation will get heavy rainfall
The PMD released a daily prediction today, stating that a “rain-windstorm/thunderstorm with few heavy falls/hailstorm” was likely in most regions of the nation Thursday.
It projected the same on Friday throughout the majority of KP, GB, Kashmir, Punjab, and Islamabad. The weather was anticipated to continue dry throughout the most of Sindh.
The meteorological office issued a warning that “heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in local nullahs/streams of Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Manshera, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and tributaries of Kabul River” on the 18th and 19th of April.
It mentioned the likelihood of landslides in upper KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, and GB, which it claimed might hit susceptible areas over the period. “Windstorm/hailstorm and lightning may damage standing crops, loose structures like electric poles, vehicles and solar panels, etc during the period,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Maria Ghanchi