Strong winds cause havoc as several trees fall in Karachi

KARACHI: Following the threat of an approaching storm, Karachi experienced the severe effects of a deep depression in the Arabian Sea, with strong winds causing trees to fall in various areas, resulting in the tragic death of a woman, ARY News reported on Friday.

Rescue officials reported that a tree fell near Stadium Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, fatally injuring a woman whose identity remains unknown.

Additionally, strong winds caused a tree to topple in Gulistan-e-Johar Block 10, while another tree in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 17 fell onto electric wires, disrupting the area’s power supply and affecting traffic flow.

The cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea, currently about 200 kilometers from Karachi, is moving at a speed of 60 to 70 km per hour.

Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz stated that while the storm is not expected to directly hit Karachi or the Sindh coastline, its effects will likely result in heavy rainfall across the province.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Friday that a potential cyclone that had developed over the Rann of Kutch in India has intensified into cyclone Asna.

The cyclone currently lies at around Latitude 23.5 N & Longitude 67.9 E at about 170km south/southeast of Karachi and 88km south of Kati Bandar, the weather department said in its fourth alert.

The system is likely keep moving initially west/northwestwards.

“Under its influence, widespread rain/wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy and isolated extremely heavy falls likely in Karachi division, Tharparker, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, T.M Khan, T.A Yar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu & Shaheed Benazirabad districts till 31 August.”

“Widespread rain/wind-thunderstorm with scattered heavy/very heavy and isolated extremely heavy falls also likely in Hub, Lasbella, Awaran, Keach & Gwadar districts during 30 August to 1st September with occasional gaps,” according to PMD.