KARACHI, March 11: Routine life came to a standstill in the metropolis following the moderate-to-heavy rain which began on Sunday morning and continued intermittently till late into the night. A hailstorm also occurred in the areas adjoining the Boating Basin.

The civic life came to a halt as the rainwater flooded all roads and streets. All the utility services, including power, water and telecommunication, were badly affected. The civic agencies, particularly the cantonment boards, failed to cope with the situation.

The rain also caused frequent power breakdowns, delays in arrival and departure of trains and commuters and pedestrians on roads also experienced problem due to the absence of public transport.

The Met Office forecasted more rain during the next 12 hours. The maximum temperature expected to range between 14 and 16 degrees centigrade.

Almost every thoroughfare of the city was submerged during the rain. However, the situation on those roads where the city government installed storm-water drainage system was much better than that of other arteries.

From ankle- to knee-deep water was accumulated in areas, including University Road, Lasbella Bridge, and its surroundings, Nazimabad, Mehmoodabad, Burnes Road, North Karachi, New Karachi, Orangi Town, Korangi, Court Road, Arts Council, Shaheen Complex, Allah Wali Chowrangi, adjoining areas of the Metropole Hotel, Delhi Colony, Kashmir Colony, Lyari, Water Pump and others.

Reports of traffic jams were also received from areas where the civic agencies were carrying out development work. People experienced traffic jams near Sohrab Goth, Nagan Chowrangi, Jauhar Mor, Gulshan Chowrangi, Civic Centre and Old Sabzi Mandi, Clifton, Teen Talwar, Lyari and other areas.

A number of vehicles stuck in the accumulated water on I.I. Chundrigar Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Saddar, Bath Island, Sohrab Goth, Sharea Faisal, PECHS, Nursery and other areas. This created hindrance in the flow of traffic, which was already affected due to water accumulation.

The drivers of broken-down vehicles were seen at many places looking for motor mechanics or for people to push their vehicles. The problem was not limited to car owners but in many areas motorcyclists also met with the same fate.

The cause of traffic jam in most of the area was development work. However, in several areas, the potholes and dug-up road posed a serious threat to motorists and pedestrians, as due to the accumulated water no one could see them. The city government and other civic agencies disposed of the construction material, rubble and mud alongside the roads, which caused problems for the pedestrians.

The rain, however, turned the weather pleasant with the fall of mercury. The Met office said that on an average 13.18mm rain was recorded in its observatories across the city till 5pm.

At University Road, 16.6mm rain was recorded while 15.3mm rainfall was recorded at North Nazimabad, 14mm at PAF Masroor Base and 10mm rain was recorded at the airport and the PAF Faisal Base, respectively. The humidity was 90 per cent. The city also witnessed thunder and lightning throughout the day.

The Met Office said that a low-pressure weather system from west was responsible for the continuous rain across the country and it would continue for the next 12 to 18 hours and then start weakening.