KARACHI: The people of Karachi sweltering in heat kept desperately waiting for some relief in the shape of monsoon rains on Sunday but the Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that a weather system it had predicted would result in thundershower with heavy to very heavy rainfall in Karachi had weakened and might result in moderate downpour only.

The weather system after developing in Sindh and Balochistan “weakened in its intensity”, but it was hoped that the city could still witness moderate level of downpour, the Met Office added.

The officials said that strong monsoon currents were expected to enter South-eastern parts of Sindh and Balochistan from Sunday and under its influence rain-thundershower with heavy to very heavy rainfall was predicted in Karachi and other parts of the province.

The Met Office and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority had also warned that heavy downpour could cause urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Khuzdar, Ormara, Pasni and Gawadar during the forecast period.

However, Sunday’s development pushed the Met authorities to revise their advisory.

“The current weather system in Sindh and Balochistan has weakened as its core has shifted to South, Southwest of Karachi in the Arabian Sea,” said the Met Office.

“However, it may give rain-wind-thundershower at scattered places [with a few heavy falls] in Sindh including Tharparkar, Umerkot, Thatta, Badin, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu and Karachi and Balochistan including Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kharan and Panjgur from Sunday (evening/night) to Wednesday.”

On Sunday, the weather remained hot and humid and maximum temperature was recorded at 35.1 degree Celsius.

The humidity level was recorded very high, 70 per cent, which increased feel-like temperature for the people.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2022