Public holiday in Karachi amid torrential rain, squally weather
DEEP DEPRESSION CENTRED OFF CITY SET TO INTENSIFY INTO A CYCLONE
In view of the emergency situation resulting from the tropical cyclone — torrential rains and gusty winds — Karachi’s district administration announced a public holiday yesterday.
Administrator of Karachi and spokesperson for the Sindh government, Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui in a tweet shared the decision that according to him was taken in view of the situation resulting from the expected tropical cyclone and the rainfall.
More rains predicted
According to the Meteorological Department, the depression over the northeast Arabian Sea moved west-northwestward at a speed of 15km/hour during last 12 hours, concentrated into a deep depression and lay centred at a distance of about 160km south-southwest of Karachi, 140km from Thatta and 270km from Ormara. “The system is likely to strengthen further into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours and move west-northwestward towards Makran coast,” it further stated.
The weather bureau also predicted widespread rain, strong winds and thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall in Karachi, Hyderabad,
Thatta, Badin, Dadu and Jamshoro districts until tonight.
Meanwhile, widespread rain, wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Gwadar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Khuzdar, Kalat and Panjgur districts of Balochistan till tomorrow
night, the Met Office forecast.
According to the Met Office, sea conditions will remain rough and urged fishermen to refrain from venturing into the sea until tomorrow. “Torrential rains may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed
Benazirabad, Lasbela, Somiani, Ormara, Pasniand Gwadar,” the Met Office cautioned.
People in Karachi’s urban areas remained indoors yesterday and life remained paralysed due to heavy rain and strong winds that uprooted several structures and electric poles.