KARACHI: A low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea, around 250 kilometers away from Karachi, has intensified to deep depression, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director Sardar Sarfaraz has said, warning that the rain-bearing system could be transformed into a “cyclonic storm”.

Speaking in the Geo News programme “Geo Pakistan”, Sardar Sarfaraz said Karachi is expected to receive up to 150 millimetres of rain in the next two days.

“Karachi is expected to start receiving heavy rainfall from tonight,” he said, adding that torrential rains are expected to continue throughout Friday. He said it could trigger urban flooding in the metropolis.

Rains are expected across the province under the system, he added.

Sindh CM assigns tasks to  ministers   

In light of the met office’s report that cyclone “Gulab” is expected to regain intensity and might generate urban flooding in coastal towns of Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Thursday took various preemptive measures and assigned tasks to his ministers.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah has assigned various districts of Karachi to his provincial ministers, tasking each to take responsibility for their area.

The chief minister’s spokesperson said Minister of Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla has been tasked to monitor the situation in Karachi’s District South while Minister of Labour, Information and Human Resources Saeed Ghani will do the same for Karachi’s District East.

Special Assistant to the CM on Inter-Provincial Coordination Taimur Talpur has been assigned to monitor the rain situation in Korangi, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza will do the same for Karachi’s District Central while Minister for Zakat and Ushr Sajid Jokhio for District Malir.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Political Affairs Waqar Mehdi and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Katchi Abadi/Human Settlements Liaquat Askani has been assigned to monitor the rain situation in Karachi District West and Kaemari, respectively.

Weather advisory

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had issued a weather advisory on Tuesday stating that a low-pressure area, which it described as a “remnant of the cyclonic storm Gulab”, is likely to re-emerge over the Northeast Arabian Sea on Wednesday and cause widespread heavy rains along the Sindh-Makran Coast.

According to the PMD, the low-pressure area, currently lying over central India, is likely to track in the northwest direction (towards Indian Gujarat).

The PMD had warned of widespread rain-wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy falls, and extremely heavy at times, likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Thaparker, Umerkot and Sanghar.

The PMD had also said that Shaheed Benazirabad, Nosheroferoz, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Ghotki districts of Sindh would also receive heavy rain with thunderstorms from September 28 to October 2.

Widespread rain-wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy falls, and extremely heavy at times, are also likely in Bela, Awaran, Kech, Makran and Panjgur districts of Balochistan between Thursday, September 30 and Sunday, October 3.

In this period, sea conditions would remain rough/very rough with occasional high surge in tides.