LAHORE: Seven more people lost their lives in Karachi in rain-related incidents amid reports that the monsoon spell that affected south Punjab and Sindh on Sunday is likely to dissipate by Monday noon.
Nevertheless, a new monsoon system of somewhat less intensity will generate another round of widespread rains, mainly over the plains of Punjab and Sindh, after a two-day gap, said Flood Forecasting Bureau director Ajmal Shad.
As against the forecast, it remained dry in Lahore where heavy rain had disrupted life on Saturday. The Met department said there were chances of light to moderate rain in the city on Sunday night or in the early hours of Monday morning.
Thundershowers forecast in various parts of the country for today
The showers in the past three days have brought temperatures down by several degrees in the country, creating winter-like conditions over the hills. Starting on July 1, the monsoon season in the country lasts till Sept 15.
The Met department said rain in the city was heavy at some places and light at others.
Karachi received 54mm of rain — around 110mm since Saturday — said a Met department official, predicting more rain and thunderstorms for Monday. The maximum temperature recorded in the city was 29.8 degrees Celsius and minimum 27.5 degrees Celsius.
The weatherman said that some other towns in Sindh had also received rain over the past 24 hours.
At a village in Mirpurkhas district, a woman and her son suffered injuries when lightning struck them as downpour battered Tharparkar, Mithi, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Dadu and Naushahro Feroze towns and their adjoining areas.
In Punjab, Bahawalnagar received 53mm of rain, Jhelum 46, Sahiwal 42, Kasur 35, Okara 24, Rahim Yar Khan 17, Multan 16, Joharabad 15, Mangla 14, Bhakkar 13, Mandi Bahauddin 12, Dera Ghazi Khan 4, Murree and Mianwali 3, and Khanpur and Gujrat 2mm.
The Met department recorded 30mm of rain in Parachinar, 17 in Dera Ismail Khan, 16 in Kalam, 14 in Kakul, 15 in Rawalakot, 12 in Muzaffarabad, and 11 in Skardu.
It forecast rain-thundershowers at scattered places in central and south Punjab, Islamabad, upper KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan divisions), Sindh, eastern Balochistan and Kashmir in the next 24 hours.
Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2016
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