Heavy and moderate rainfall hit most parts of Karachi following a morning of overcast skies and dark clouds.

Heavy rain accompanied with thunderstorms were reproted from the area surrounding the Quaid-e-Azam’s masoleum at Numaish, including Gurumandir, Garden, Saddar and the old city area.

Similarly heavy rainfall was reported from Karachi’s outskirts including Karachi Bahria Town on the Super Highway, Scheme 33, Gulshan-e-Maymar and Gulshan-e-Hadid.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in its weather advisory, said that a low-pressure area persisted over India’s Gujarat.

Under its influence, Karachi would experience hot and humid weather with chances of dust-thunderstorm and rain at a few places today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesady) afternoon and evening, it said in the forecast.

“Strong #thunderstorm is developing over NE of #Karachi. It will rain moderate to heavily in scattered areas of the city within next 2-4 hours,” tweeted Twitter account PakWeather.

Puddles have formed at multiple roads and the rain has reduced visibility. Strong winds accompanied the rain with thunderstorms reported from various areas.

The downpour was really heavy in the afternoon, at the time when schools get off. It caused panic among Karachi residents with a large number of people trying to return home earlier before rainwater flooded roads. This resulted in logjams on various key routes due to the heavier than normal traffic.

The rain comes after days of extremely high weather and humidity, a break from multiple spells of heavy rainfall across the country that has left a trail of destruction in its wake.

Urban centres have escaped the worst of rain-related disasters that has drowned most of rural Pakistan. Rains have impacted an estimated 35 million people and destroyed close to 1.5 million homes.

According to the latest numbers, rains and floods have claimed 1500 lives in Pakistan since June 20.