HYDERABAD, April 19: A strong dust storm uprooted more than a dozen electricity poles and trees and blew away signboards in Hyderabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and adjoining areas.

Light rain hit Nawabshah and Matiari and a hailstorm battered Umerkot and surrounding areas, damaging harvested wheat lying in piles in the open on Friday evening.

In Hyderabad, the dust storm also damaged a number of 11-KV feeders and electricity poles and caused cables to snap up and fall down, causing disruption in power supply across the district.

The winds caused wall of a house to collapse on a car and a motorcycle parked near it in Khokhar Mohallah but there were no immediate reports about any causalities or eventualities.

Karachi meteorological office told Dawn on phone that speed of winds was measured at 38 knots in the dust storm which lasted for half an hour. It was already forecast, said the office.

Maximum temperature in the city was 38.5 degrees centigrade and minimum at 24 degrees with 38 per cent of humidity in the air, it said, adding that the met office had forecast dust storm and light rain during next 24 hours in Hyderabad and adjoining areas.

A spokesperson for Hyderabad Electric Supply Company said that strong winds damaged a number of 11-KV feeders and brought down a few poles but denied reports of widespread power breakdown.

Power had not been restored in many localities till the filling of this report at 9:50 pm.

Dust storm and strong winds blew away an unspecified number of signboards and uprooted trees in Mirpurkhas and adjoining areas.

There were no immediate reports about any damage or eventuality.

A hailstorm and light rain hit Umerkot town and surrounding areas of Samaro, Kunri and Pithoro. It continued for about an hour, damaging harvested wheat crop which had been lying in piles in the open.

Light rain was also reported from Nawabshah and Matiari and dust storm from Badin, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and adjoining areas.

The rain and hail storm at this time of the year can damage tonnes of harvested wheat lying in the open in fields and inflict heavy losses on farmers.