NAWABSHAH, July 28: Three people were hurt when lightning struck the Cattle Colony in Mirpurkhas as light to heavy rains, first of the year’s monsoon season, lashed Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Umerkot, Islamkot, Tharparkar, Nagarparkar, Mithi and their adjoining areas on Monday.

In Nawabshah, rains followed by dust-storm, hit the city, Doulatpur, Qazi Ahmed, Sakrand, Daur, Bandhi and their adjoining areas in the evening.

Murtaza Ali at Met office informed that the city received 17mm rain, which turned the hot and humid weather into pleasant and allowed people to heave a sigh of relief.

Rain coupled with thunderstorm lashed Hyderabad proving true the met office forecast that parts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions had chances of moderate to heavy rainfall.

It began at around 9 pm and continued till the filing of this report. Met office recorded temperature at 38.5 degrees Celsius and minimum at 27.5 degrees centigrade. Ratio of humidity in the air was recorded at 81 per cent maximum and 45 per cent minimum.

In Mirpurkhas, power went off as soon as it started raining.

Moderate to heavy rains also struck Umerkot, Islamkot, Thar-parkar, Nagarparkar, Mithi, Badin and their adjoining areas, making the thirsty Thar desert saturated with water. Farmers said that the rain had been delayed this year. However, they would plough their lands for crops and wait for more rains because a crop needed rains with a gap of 20-30 days until it reached maturity.