BADIN: A thunderstorm followed by light and moderate rain played havoc with hoardings, trees and thatched houses across Badin district while a dust storm swept through parts of Sukkur division late on Monday evening. Light rains also lashed Sukkur and Kandhkot-Kashmor districts as well as several districts of Mirpurkhas division over the past 24 hours.

A sudden change in weather conditions occurred in Badin district late on Monday evening when a thunderstorm pulled down many hoardings, signboards and old trees, besides sweeping away a large number of thatched houses in Tando Bago, Pangrio, Talhar, Dei, Sangi Furho, Malkani Sharif and other towns and villages. Reports from different areas suggested that several hundred trees and a large number of electricity poles were uprooted across the district.

Civic infrastructure, including the power distribution, water supply and sewerage networks, sustained considerable damage and power supply in most of the affected areas could not be restored till Tuesday evening.

No casualties were, however, reported from any part of Badin district.

The heatwave prevailing in Mirpurkhas division for weeks subsided following a thunderstorm coupled with light rain that hit Mirpurkhas and some other districts on Tuesday evening.

Mirpurkhas, Mirwah Gorchani, Jhuddo, Naokot, Mithi, Islamkot and many other cities and towns received light to moderate rains in several spells and the sky remained overcast in till late in the evening.

Many areas of Sukkur and Kandhkot district were hit by a thick dust storm late on Monday night and again on Tuesday morning and evening.

Visibility turned poor and the condition prevailed for more many hours causing slow movement of vehicles.

A meteorological department official in Karachi said that the maximum temperature in the province on Tuesday was recorded at Dadu, where the mercury climbed to 46 degrees Celsius. He said the temperature in Padidan was recorded at 44, Sukkur and Jacobabad 41, Larkana and Nawabshah 40, Hyderabad 39 and Badin 38 degrees Celsius.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2015

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