KARACHI: Moderate to heavy rains were reported in Karachi on Wednesday, as the fresh monsoon spell started in the city. More rain and thundershowers were expected in Sindh, south Punjab, south and northeastern Balochistan till August 26 with occasional gaps, the Met Office said.

“A well marked low pressure (LPA) located over east Rajasthan (India) is likely to move northwest direction and approach Sindh tonight,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department said in its update on Tuesday. “Due to this strong weather system, monsoon currents are penetrating in southern and upper parts of the country.”

Rain and thundershowers (with isolated heavy falls) were expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from Wednesday night to Friday with occasional gaps.

Showers were reported in Karachi’s Gurumandir, Garden, Nazimabad, and Korangi areas. An old tree fell near the Shaheen Complex because of rain and strong winds. The road from the Arts Council to the commercial area of the city was closed for traffic, according to updates by 8:00am.

Two days holiday announced in Sindh educational institutions

The Sindh government has announced holidays on Wednesday and Thursday in educational institutions across the province in view of the rainy situation.

“All the government and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the College Education Department, Government of Sindh shall remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to rain emergency,” said the notification issued on Tuesday.

The provincial government has decided to set up relief camps in many schools.

The University of Karachi has postponed the Associate Degree Commerce (ADC) exams which were scheduled for today and tomorrow, Dr Zafar Hussain, the controller of examinations, said.

Earlier, the Hyderabad deputy commissioner had taken similar measures.

239 killed in heavy rains since June 14

At least 239 people – including 35 women, 84 men and 120 children – have so far been killed in Sindh since the monsoon spell started in the province on June 14. So far 701 people have been injured.

Out of the total 332,857 damaged houses, 228,677 were partial and 104,180 complete, showed the National Disaster Management Authority data.

The data showed that 1,913,986 is the number of affected population.

FM Bilawal urges nation to help flood affected people

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has appealed to the nation to come forward to help the rain affected people of Balochistan, Sindh, South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Whole nation must unite to face this difficult time,” he told reporters in Shahdadkot after visiting various rain-hit areas. “There has been a lot of damage due to record rains. There is not a single area of Sindh that is not affected by the current heavy rains.”

Bilawal, who is the chairman of the Sindh ruling party, said that situation of rains and floods was “extremely bad” from Qamber to Karachi and Thatta, adding that many areas in Sindh were still underwater and the provincial government was working in the relief and rescue phase.

“There is a dire need for tents, medicine and food, there is not enough supply as much as the demand. We have also asked the federal government for assistance,” he added.

The PPP chairman said the provincial government would collect the details of how many houses have been damaged due to rains in the province. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also announced financial support through the Benazir Income Support Program for the relief of rain and flood affected persons, which is welcomed.”

He urged the national media that the main priority for everyone in the current situation should be the rain victims, “the rest of the political dramas will continue, and they should not be paid attention to.”