Met Office predicts more downpours until August 23 as Karachi remains on high alert and braces for further disruption
KARACHI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 20th, 2025) Torrential rains continued to batter Karachi on Wednesday, submerging major roads, disrupting transportation, and leaving several areas without power, while authorities warned of possible urban flooding and flash floods in Sindh and Balochistan.
The strong winds and heavy rain lashed multiple areas including Bahadurabad, PECHS, Jamshed Road, Tipu Sultan Road, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir Halt, and Garden. The National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) Emergency Operations Centre said that extremely heavy rainfall is expected over the next 12–24 hours in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, and Sukkur.
According to the advisory, rainfall between 50mm and 100mm in a short span could trigger severe flooding, particularly in Karachi and Hyderabad, where poor drainage continues to exacerbate the crisis.
The floodwaters inundated key roads including Korangi Causeway and Qayyumabad Crossing, forcing authorities to divert traffic. In Surjani Town, dozens of residents were trapped inside their homes. Edhi Foundation confirmed that rescue operations were underway using boats, with nearly 50 houses submerged.
The several underpasses in Liaquatabad and Nazimabad remain unusable due to accumulated rainwater, while Korangi’s Red Bus route was disrupted after vehicles were stranded in waterlogged roads.
The situation worsened as Karachi Electric’s distribution system failed once again. More than 430 feeders tripped following the downpour, leaving vast parts of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Nazimabad, Defence, and Korangi without electricity for over 24 hours.
The residents complained of being forced to spend entire nights in darkness as KE teams failed to restore supply.
On Tuesday night alone, over 900 feeders went offline—the worst outage since KE’s privatization—plunging nearly half the city into darkness.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heavy monsoon rains across Sindh and Balochistan until August 22.
Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Umerkot are particularly at risk of urban flooding.
Northern and southeastern Balochistan could face flash floods due to rising water levels in streams and rivers.
The Met Office also warned that intense rains accompanied by the strong winds could damage weak infrastructure, power poles and signboards. The citizens and tourists have been advised to stay away from waterlogged roads, low-lying areas, and risky travel routes.
Meanwhile, the residents of Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 18 were trapped inside flooded apartment buildings, forced to use temporary ladders to exit. Traffic chaos continued across the city as major thoroughfares turned into rivers.
The Met Office predicted more downpours until August 23 as Karachi remains on high alert and braces for further disruption.
