Dozens of families have been left stranded as water from the River Indus has entered the katcha area near Mehar, Sindh, while, on the other hand, record-breaking monsoon showers continue in large swathes of the country, resulting in urban flooding and swelling of rivers on Wednesday. The lives of flood victims in Mehar is in jeopardy as rescue and relief activities in the affected areas is still to get underway. Apart from that, people in the affected area are faced with the food shortage while contagious diseases have also started breaking out.  And to make matters worse, the water level in the river is still on the rise. Meanwhile, torrential rains, lashing large parts of Sindh for the last two to three days, has set off alarm bells ringing as there are fears that these could not only lead to urban flooding but also rise in water levels in the River Indus. On the other hand, fishermen have been advised not to go deep into the sea. There are reports of intermittent rainfall from different areas of Karachi such as Sharae Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, Defence, Clifton, Saddar, Kala Pull, Tower and other cities of Sindh.

Heavy rains have also been reported from several cities of Punjab. In Multan 48-year-old record was broken after the city received 147 millimeters of rain in just two hours as a result of which not only low-lying areas were inundated but the water also entered the Social Security Hospital. Showers have also been reported from Lahore and other cities of the province, including Shakargarh, Sarai Alamgir, Shahkot and Chiniot that flooded low-lying areas besides resulting in the suspension of power supply to several localities. Weather Department says worse still to come Indeed not a good news for the residents of Karachi and other urban centers of Sindh as the Met Office has said that the ongoing spell of rain will continue until August 31. The department has said that a monsoon low that is presently over Gujarat state of India is expected to reach somewhere between Badin and Karachi by tomorrow night, and will then head towards Makran division that could lead to deluge in Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan. 

Chief Meteorologist Sarfaraz Ahmad has said that the rain-producing system is quite strong and has now developed into a ‘deep depression’. “Due to this system, the wind speed in Sindh could reach up to between 28 to 33 nautical miles,” he has said, adding, “Showers could be heavier between Wednesday and Friday.” Karachi may receive 150 to 200 millimeters of rain The meteorologist has said that Karachi could receive between 150 to 200 millimeters of rain, while adjoining cities of Thatta and Badin between 300 to 400 millimeters. “As the low will approach closer, the rain will get intense. Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds could blow away roofs of weak structures,” he has warned. Sarfaraz has said that standing near billboards, electricity poles and solar panels during inclement weather could be life-taking. More rainfall predicted for other parts of country Similarly, downpours and strong gales have also been forecast for Islamabad and most of the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while there could be torrential rains in Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismael Khan.

Similarly, thundershowers are expected in Kasur, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Khanpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Intermittent rainfall, and heavy at some places, has also been predicted for Khuzdar, Kalat, Lasbela, Naseerabad, Awaran, Sibbi, Jaafarabad, Kohlu, Bolan, Jhal Magsi and Panjgur in Balochistan.  It will rain cats and dogs in Sindh The Met Office has said that thundershowers, accompanied by gusty winds, are likely in Badin, Tharparkar, Nangarpar, Islamkot, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Tando Allay Yar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matyari, Sanghar, Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Dadu and Naushero Feroze. Rain has been forecast for isolated places in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan