Karachi rain breaks 90-year record, confirms Met Office

KARACHI: The Met Office has confirmed that the 90-year record of monsoon downpour was broken after the most amount of rainfall in Karachi in August this year.

The 90-year record was broken after a 345 mm downpour recorded in Karachi’s PAF Faisal Base in  August this year, making it the wettest month since 1931, which was previously recorded up to 298.4 in 1984.

Moreover, the most amount of rainfall up to 272 mm hit the Masroor Base in 2007, whereas, the August 2020’s downpour was recorded up to 228.5 mm so far and it is still accumulating.

In 1979, 262.5 mm rain had been recorded in MOS Old Airport while the recent downpour was 168.9 in the same area.

Read: Karachi submerges, receiving frequent rainfall for hours

According to the Met Office, 114 mm rain was recorded in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, 83 mm in Sadar, 81 in Landhi, 77.8 at University Road, 76.6 in Nazimabad, 70.8 in Saadi Town, 65.8 at Jinnah Terminal, 49.8 in North Karachi, 42.8 in Surjani and the lowest amount of downpour was 21.9 mm in Keamari.

The roads of the port city turned into waterways after frequents light to heavy rainfall for 12 hours paralyzing normal life.

Most of the main roads and streets in Karachi looking like nullahs and drains after the rainfall as three to four feet of water standing in North Karachi, Nazimabad, Nagan Chowrangi, according to reports.

Karachi is facing a situation of urban flooding, as knee-long rainwater gathered at Saddar, M.A. Jinnah Road and Tibet Centre, Sohrab Goth, Shara-e-Faisal, Malir and Landhi, Safoora Chowrangi, NIPA Chowrangi, Hassan Square and People’s Chowrangi. The roads at KDA Chowrangi, Five Star Chowrangi and Hyderi areas drowned under the water disturbing traffic flow.

Read: Karachi rain: Two kids drown in sewer line, search operation launched

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has imposed a rain emergency in the province after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in Karachi and other parts of the province.

Murad Ali Shah cancelled holidays of all government employees and directed them to report to their departments. “The city has received heavy rainfall and some low-lying areas have submerged,” said the chief minister as he directed the PDMA to initiate relief activities in the metropolis. He said that the government would not leave the masses alone at this testing time and he had visited parts of the city to ensure immediate clearing of rainwater from the roads.

Rangers rescued the passengers of a bus that was upturned amid heavy rainfall at Hub River road. The paramilitary force personnel also put the vehicle on its wheels with the help of a heavy crane.

The Pakistan Met Department had earlier issued warning that heavy rainfall may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta and Badin from Monday to Tuesday. Heavy downpour may generate flash flooding in hill torrents of Kalat, Khuzdar and Lasbella during the period, it added.