Rain lashes parts of Karachi as Cyclone Asna further moves away

KARACHI: Several parts of Karachi experienced intermittent rains on Saturday under the influence of cyclonic storm Asna which moved further westward from the Sindh coast.

The areas which received moderate to heavy rains include Gurumandir, Numaish, Lasbela, Soldier Bazaar, Tariq Road, II Chundrigar Road and its adjoining areas.

The storm is currently located at Latitude 23.3 N and Longitude 64.5 E, approximately 300 km southwest of Karachi, 230 km south-southwest of Ormara, and 300 km southeast of Gwadar.

The system is expected to continue tracking west-southwestward.

As a result of the storm’s movement, the PMD forecasts rain-thundershowers, with some areas experiencing heavy downpours accompanied by squally winds reaching speeds of 60-70 km/h in the districts of Hub, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, and Gwadar in Balochistan until tomorrow night.

Light to moderate rain, with occasional gusty winds, is also expected in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matiari, Jamshoro, and Dadu districts of Sindh.

The heavy rains may lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas along the Makran coast. Additionally, sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough, with squally winds gusting up to 80 km/h.

Fishermen in Sindh have been advised to avoid venturing into the open sea until tonight, while those in Balochistan are cautioned to stay ashore until tomorrow evening.