Heavy rainfall lashes Karachi areas ahead of new spell forecast

KARACHI: The heavy rains have begun Monday to lash parts of the metropolitan city a day ahead of the new spell forecast, ARY News reported.

Areas including Gulistan e Jauhar, Gulshan e Iqbal, Malir, Landhi and Korangi have reported the showers in the noon. While other parts of Karachi also report sporadic downpour.

Separately, as reported yesterday, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in its third alert on Tropical Cyclone GULAB in the Bay of Bengal said that the cyclone has been at a distance of about 2200km from Karachi.

The Cyclonic Storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal has moved westward during last 12 hrs and now lies centred around latitude 18.3N and longitude 87.2E.

Cyclone ‘Gulab’ 2200km from Karachi, no threat to Pakistan coastal belt

“The system is very likely to keep moving westward and cross North Andhra Pradesh-Orissa coast, India by this evening or early night,” the PMD said in its alert.

There is no threat to any coastal area of Pakistan from this system, the Met Office said.

According to weather reports, the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a cyclonic storm. A weather expert said that, cyclones do not usually form in September in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. They form in months of October and November. “It is a rare meteorological activity of its kind”.

“Under the influence of this weather system rains are also expected in the southern parts of Pakistan including Karachi, after central India and Gujarat”.

It is to be mentioned here that the PMD had earlier forecast rainfall with wind and thunderstorm in southeastern parts of Sindh including Karachi from Sep. 28.