More than 550 K-Electric (KE) feeders tripped in the metropolis on Sunday after a third spell of rain lashed the port city of Karachi, leaving many neighbourhoods without electricity.

The MET Office last week had forecast a third spell of monsoon in Karachi with heavy rain and thunderstorm between July 26 and July 27.

Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, FB Area, Liaquatabad, PIB Colony, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Korangi and Old City Area were reported to be without power as the rain started.

KE said it would restore power as soon as it was safe to do so. A spokesperson for the power supplier said electricity supply to low-lying areas and those with kundas had been suspended.

“We urge government departments to work as quickly as possible to drain the water out of these areas,” the spokesperson said.

According to data provided by the MET Office, the highest rainfall was recorded in Gulistan-e-Johar at 66 millimetres (mm), while 55 mm was registered at Old Airport, 55 mm in Pehlwan Goth and 42 mm in Malir.

The MET department has said the city could expect the fresh spell of rain to continue for the next couple of hours. “We can expect another spell of rain at night,” the MET department said, adding that intermittent rain can be expected throughout the afternoon. It added the city could face urban flooding.

Rain emergency at KW&SB

Separately, a rain emergency has been declared at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) on the orders of Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, a KWSB spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said dewatering pumps have been deployed in low-lying areas and roads with the Board’s complain centre to register complaints all night.

Earlier on July 7, the first spell of torrential rains had wreaked havoc in the metropolis, bringing the much-feared loadshedding in multiple neighbourhoods despite claims from the sole power supplying company, the K-Electric that it had made improvements in its system ahead of the forecast.

According to data provided by the authority, the highest rainfall was recorded in Saddar at 43 millimetres (mm), while 26 mm was registered at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base, 22mm in Nazimabad, 12mm at PAF Masroor Base, 8.8mm at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, 3.1mm in Landhi, and 1.2mm in Surjani Town.

Despite the PMD's early forecast, there seemed to be no plan to manage the traffic disruption from the concerned authorities. Limited visibility due to heavy rain disrupted traffic flow at Shahrah-e-Faisal.

However, during the second spell of monsoon on July 17, two people, including a police officer, had died of electrocution in the city as rain battered the metropolis, leaving the city's main roads and streets submerged in water.–INP