KARACHI: Light to moderate rain continued to lash Karachi on Tuesday, soaking major thoroughfares and neighbourhoods as the city braced for another wet spell within the next two days amid warnings of possible urban flooding.
Several areas including II Chundrigar Road, Old City area and surroundings, Sharea Faisal, Tariq Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and various other parts of the city witnessed repeated showers throughout the day.
Rainfall was also reported from Orangi Town, Saddar, Clifton, Garden, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Landhi, Surjani, New Karachi, North Karachi, Nazimabad and Nagan Chowrangi, where roads and streets remained wet as residents braced for further downpours.
Electricity supply was disrupted in several parts of Karachi following rainfall.
According to sources, 280 feeders of K-Electric tripped during the intermittent showers across the metropolis.
Power outages were reported in Baldia, DHA, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Korangi. Other areas include PECHS, Orangi, Liaquatabad, Surjani Town and Taiser Town also faced suspension of power supply.
Residents in Razaqabad, Malir, Khokhrapar, New Karachi, Yousuf Goth and Jacob Lines experienced similar outages, while power cuts were reported in Manzoor Colony, Akhtar Colony, Kashmir Colony and Shah Faisal Colony.
Electricity supply was also suspended in Model Town, Khawaja Ajmer Nagri, Godhra, SITE and Ittehad Town, leaving citizens distressed.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the implementation of a rain emergency traffic management plan in the metropolis.
According to a spokesperson, section officers, DSPs and SPs will remain present on the roads in view of the expected rainfall. The officials have been deployed at key points and alternative routes.
CM Shah instructed that emergency measures be taken in case of possible urban flooding. He was also informed that every traffic police team has been equipped with essential tools and recovery resources.
He further directed that stranded citizens on the roads should be provided timely assistance. A mobile workshop has also been arranged to provide technical support to vehicles that break down on the road.
Meanwhile, Karachi Traffic Police have appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during rainfall.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that moderate to strong showers may continue until late night, with “very heavy downpours” likely as a powerful monsoon system maintains its intensity as a deep depression over land.
The Met Office has also cautioned that torrential or very heavy rains are predicted across Sindh and parts of Balochistan during the next four hours, further heightening the risk of flash and urban flooding.
Authorities have urged citizens to stay alert as the city heads into its 10th wet spell of the monsoon season.
The weather forecast warned that “very heavy downpours” were likely to pound Karachi as a powerful monsoon system maintains its intensity as a deep depression over land.
PMD Deputy Director Anjum Nazir said the deep depression is currently centred about 50 kilometres northeast of Hyderabad, bringing 85mm of rainfall to the city during the past 24 hours.
He added that the system is moving westward, causing morning showers in Karachi, and is expected to intensify after 11am.
The PMD spokesperson had earlier warned that the situation in the city “may remain severe”, with strong winds of 60 to 70 kilometres per hour likely during the spell.
This system producing intense rainfall could deliver over 100 millimetres of rain in Karachi during the entire spell, as per Nazir, posing great risk of urban flooding due to the city’s poor infrastructure.
The system will move and turn into a low-pressure one in the next 12 hours, the PMD noted, adding that rains will continue in Karachi with intermittent strong winds at most places till tomorrow.
Echoing Met Office’s warning, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah has said that a new rain spell is likely to hit Karachi in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The authorities are on high alert, warning low-lying areas could be inundated. Citizens have been urged to avoid weak infrastructure and stay indoors during intense showers.
In other parts of Sindh, the weather department recorded as much as 80 millimetres of rain in the last spell.
Karachi’s battered drainage system cannot withstand much, and memories of flooded streets and stranded commuters are still fresh.
However, authorities are trying to sound calm as the traffic police say their officers are out in the field to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles.
“We are active across all towns to avoid jams,” said DIG Traffic, adding that the measures were taken on the chief minister’s instructions. The information department also claimed traffic is moving normally across the city.
The traffic police has further declared Tariq Road’s — city’s key shopping hub — both tracks as a “no parking zone” as it would be used as an alternative route for Sharea Faisal if the latter is affected.
Still, the risk hangs heavy as the K-Electric, which runs the city’s power supply, has gone on high alert. Its spokesman said out of over 2,100 feeders, fewer than 60 were affected in the recent rains. In some low-lying areas and places with illegal connections, power was cut as a precaution.
For now, Karachi’s traffic remains under control, and electricity is mostly stable. But the real test will begin once the first heavy spell hits. The city waits, hoping it will not be drowned yet again.
The Met Office said intermittent heavy showers with thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Jamshoro, Thatta, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad and other districts till September 10.
School closures
Hyderabad quickly gave way to steady rain on the night between Monday and Tuesday, forcing authorities to announce the closure of schools across the district.
The stop-and-go showers have already disrupted daily life.
Weather officials say more rain is on the way, while the disaster management authority has strongly advised people to stay cautious.
But it was Matiari in Sindh where the weather turned dangerous. The district also closed its schools, yet the bigger concern was safety on the roads.
Police said a trailer crashed into a footpath along the National Highway, injuring its driver.
A separate accident near New Saeedabad in Hala left three motorcyclists hurt. In total, four people were rushed to the hospital after rain-related mishaps.
Intermittent rainfall has been lashing several cities across Sindh for the past two days, significantly affecting daily life.The current monsoon spell began on Sunday evening in Hyderabad Division.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), two people lost their lives and three others were injured due to rainfall in Sindh between September 7 and 8. Among the deceased was a child, while the injured include a child and two women.
Since June 2025 up to September 8, a total of 60 people have died and 81 have beeninjured across Sindh due to rain-related incidents, according to NDMA data.