‘Almost every year Monsoon brings Karachi to standstill’
During Storm and After Storm – Courtesy Twitter
People who say that it doesnt rain much in Karachi should change their view because when it rains it pours as if there is no tomorrow though the number of days of rain is indeed less in the metropolis. Karachi lie in the monsoon season so its not surprising to see torrential rains here or streets getting flooded during the summer season which is quite common in the Indian sub-continent. The mega city Karachi was once again brought to it’s knee when typical monsoon rain started in the city on August 3 morning and continued till evening in some parts.
What caused the rain?
Karachi experienced it’s first monsoon deluge of the year due to the remnants of a tropical depression BOB 03 that formed in the Bay of Bengal on July 30 and traveled all the way from eastern India to central India and then to southern Pakistan.
On August 3, remnants lied over eastern Sindh and adjoining states of India as an upper air cyclonic circulation (weaker than a low pressure – extremely weak than a depression). Despite being an UAC it brought above 50 mm rain to many cities of Sindh. On August 4, the UAC further weakened and moved into Balochistan.
Main features of the August 3′s weather
Following are the main features of the August 3′s weather;
- Winds: Highest winds were 40 km/h though they can be much higher in North parts of Karachi.
- Winds direction: During the whole day, wind direction kept changing direction – WSW, NE, ESE, SE, NW.
- Rain Quantity: 136 mm (5.3 inches) in North Karachi, 74 mm (2.9 inches) in DHA (south) Karachi.
- Duration of rain: The rain started from 10:00 am PKT and lasted till 10:30 pm PKT.
- Humidity: The highest humidity was 94%.
Storm leaves death and destruction
According to government sources, 8 people have been reported dead due to the rain-related incidents while major roads of the city have witnessed heavy flooding. TV Footage shows cars overturned in some areas of the city due to the power of floodwater.
Flash flooding has left 38 people dead in Pakistan province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Every year more than 100 people die due to the monsoon season in the Indian sub-continent.
More rain coming?
On August 4, parts of Karachi again experienced moderate to isolated heavy rain during the early hours of the day but the good news is that the current spell is over and there are no chances of moderate to heavy rain till few days. The authorities should immediately clean the flood water as new rains can come to Karachi in few days, fresh weather system is forming in the Bay of Bengal. More rains can occur in the metropolis during the coming week that is August 8/August 9, update will be given if necessary. Will Karachi survive the next rain?
