HYDERABAD: A strong thunder and dust storm lashed Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and their surrounding areas on Sunday but luckily its strength died down after an hour without causing any major harm.

The storm is bound to do serious harm to mango crop which needs only a week to be ready to get picked. The storm started in the evening and continued to lash the city for an hour.

Its speed was recorded at 36 nautical miles in Hyderabad and 25 in Benazirabad district, said a met official, adding when the wind speed crossed 20 nautical miles mark the department issued a weather warning. “Only rain can lessen the wind speed now,” said the official.

The storm mostly struck lower Sindh region known for its production of mango. “It can and always do harm to mango fruit which is ready to be picked now. It can affect the wheat grain also which is lying in heaps in the open in some areas but most of the crop has already been sold off, so there is no major threat to wheat,” said Abdul Majeed Nizamani, president of Sindh Abadgar Board.

The met official said that direction of gusty winds changed subsequently and then it affected Karachi as well at a speed of 26 nautical miles. In Tando Mohammad Khan, the storm blew away some signboards and mud-thatched rooftops of some hotels.

Mirpurkhas

An unspecified number of trees, signboards and electricity poles were uprooted by the strong thunderstorm that hit Mirpurkhas and its surrounding areas on Sunday.

There are reports the storm damaged many mud-thatched houses in the city and in rural areas. Many trees and electricity poles fell on the M.A. Jinnah road and in the city’s outskirts. But, no report was received from any part of the district about damage from the storm.