Under an approaching monsoonal weather system from the Indian side, the city received 66 millimetres (mm) rain on Saturday.
The spell of heavy rain started in most parts of the city after 2 pm and continued intermittently for the next two hours. Several streets, roads and alleys were inundated with rainwater in mostly Eastern parts of the city.
Sharea Faisal was one instance of flash flooding-like situation as both sides of the main artery were virtually blocked owing to the inundation of the rainwater near Natha Khan Goth and Star Gate.
The main thoroughfare of the city and its adjoining roads including the one leading to the Airport Security Force Headquarters were clogged with traffic.
People, including women and children, were seen walking in several inches of accumulated rainwater on Sharea Faisal and nearby roads, as they could not avail any conveyance to reach their destination. Traffic police were nowhere to be seen on the roads that witnessed traffic mess for several hours. People helped themselves to find a way out of traffic congestion.
The sewerage and drainage system in several parts of the city was in shambles due to the heavy spell of rain and resulting situation of accumulating rainwater.
Power supply was suspended to a number of localities with the first drop of rain due to serious effect on the overloaded electricity distribution system of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).
A spokesman for the KESC, however, claimed that only 30 feeders out of network of 1,200 feeders tripped but restored later.
He said that the rest of the grid stations and transmission lines of the KESC remained unaffected, while Valika grid of the KESC developed some fault in the morning.
According to the Meteorological Department, the city received a maximum of 66 mm rain till 5pm at its observatory at the PAF Base Faisal.
On University Road, 62.6 mm rain was recorded, at Karachi Airport 62 mm rain, at Landhi 42 mm rain, North Karachi received nine mm rain, Saddar and PAF Base Masroor each received 5 mm rain. The Met office recorded 34.5 degrees Centigrade maximum and 27.5 degrees Centigrade minimum mercury-levels with 100 per cent humidity on Saturday.
Chief Meteorologist in Karachi Mohammad Riaz said that the situation of rain would persist in the city for at least next 24 hours due to the looming low-pressure system from the Eastern side. The Met office’s latest weather advisory issued on 4 pm Saturday said: “Yesterdays Monsoon weather system over central India is likely to move in a westerly direction and may approach Sindh during the next 24 hours.”
The advisory said that under the approaching monsoon system, widespread at times heavy rainfall was expected in Sindh during the next two to three days. Urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban areas were possible.
