KARACHI: Areas in and near Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu and Jamshoro are likely to receive rains-thunderstorms with a few heavy rainfalls on Monday (today), said the Met Office on Sunday.

In an alert, the Met Office said the depression over northeastern Arabian Sea and the adjoining Gulf of Kutch persists some 270 kilometres southeast of Karachi and 220 kilometres from Thatta.

It said that the weather system has slowly moved northwestwards at a speed of 5 kilometres an hour over the past 18 hours from its previous position.

The maximum sustained surface wind is between 50 kilometres an hour and 55km an hour at around its centre. The system is likely to keep moving northwestwards for some time and then move westwards to make landfall on the coast of Oman, it added.

Resultantly, rains-thunderstorms with a few heavy rainfalls are likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu and Jamshoro districts of Sindh till July 18, said the Met Office.

The rainy spell may also hit Lasbela, Uthal, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Jiwani, Turbat, Awaran and Ketch areas of Balochistan through Monday.

The weather system is expected to keep the sea ‘very rough’ over the next three days. Therefore, fishermen in Sindh and Balochistan should keep their vessels at moorages until sailing becomes smooth. Windstorms may cause damage to loose and vulnerable structures. “All concerned authorities are requested to remain vigilant during the forecast period,” the Met Office said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022