The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday predicted rains and thundershowers in several areas of Sindh and Balochistan starting today and lasting till Friday.

       In a statement, the Met Office said rain, heavy winds and thundershowers with isolated heavy downpours were expected in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Karachi, Jamshoro, Dadu, Larkana, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kohlu, Barkhan, Sibbi, Loralai, Musakhel, Zhob, Ziarat, Quetta, Pishin, Mastung, Naseerabad, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Awaran from Aug 31 to Sept 3.

       In addition, rain, accompanied by wind and thunderstorms were also predicted in some areas of Southern Punjab — Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan — today and tomorrow.

       The hot and humid weather conditions that were prevailing in the provinces would subside during those days, the PMD said.

       However, there was also a possibility of damage from the windstorms, it cautioned.

       Advising the authorities to remain alert, the Met department said the heavy rainfall could generate urban flooding in Karachi, Thatta, Badin and Hyderabad. It could also trigger flash flooding in streams and stormwater drains in Koh-i-Sulaiman and eastern Balochistan on Thursday and Friday, it warned.

       Meanwhile, several areas in Karachi, including Saadi Town, Gulshan-i-Hadeed and Gadap received light rain on Tuesday (today) afternoon.

       Karachi had received the first spell of the year's monsoon rainfall on July 12 which wreaked havoc on the city's civic and power supply system, raising worries of a situation similar to August 2020 when several people were killed and multiple areas were inundated with floodwater.