Microburst caused sudden thunderstorm in Karachi's Saddar: PMD

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Monday that heavy rainfall in Karachi’s Saddar area was caused by a microburst.

Strong winds suddenly started blowing from all directions during the afternoon in Karachi’s Saddar area, said the Met Office.

The heavy rainfall lashed different parts of the metropolitan city today (Monday) under new monsoon spell. Areas including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan e Iqbal, Malir, Landhi, and Korangi received showers.

Read: HEAVY RAINFALL LASHES KARACHI AREAS AHEAD OF NEW SPELL FORECAST

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

What is a microburst?

According to the US government weather website, a microburst is a downdraft (sinking air) in a thunderstorm that is less than 2.5 miles in scale.

Some microbursts can pose a threat to life and property, but all microbursts pose a significant threat to aviation.

Although microbursts are not as widely recognized as tornadoes, they can cause comparable, and in some cases, worse damage than some tornadoes produce.

In fact, wind speeds as high as 150 mph are possible in extreme microburst cases.