KARACHI  -  Pakistan Meteorological De­partment (PMD) Chief Me­teorologist Sardar Sarfaraz on Saturday said cold and dry weather was likely to persist in Karachi till tomor­row (March 4). Karachi wit­nessed heavy rainfall cou­pled with thunderstorms on Friday after which a cold wave hit the city, turning the weather chilly. 

II Chundrigar Road, Sad­dar, Sarjani Town, Malir, North Karachi, Korangi In­dustrial Area, Orangi Town, Baldia Town, Manghopir, Northern Bypass, and Sohr­ab Goth Town were some of the city’s areas that re­ceived heavy rain. The mer­cury in Karachi has gone down by 4°C, Sarfaraz said, adding that the metropolis recorded a minimum tem­perature of 14.5°C on Sat­urday (today). “The city is likely to record a maximum temperature of 22°C today,” he said adding that the cur­rent cold wave was unusual as chilly weather did not usually last in March. 

He said the rains at that time of the year were also “unusual”. The chief meteo­rologist said the lowest tem­perature recorded in the megalopolis was on March 7, 8 and 9 in 1979 — 7°C.

Meanwhile, weather ex­pert Jawad Memon said there was no chance of rain in Karachi as the westerly waves had departed. He said the sky would remain clear and dry with cold nights. He said the wave of unseasonal cold in Karachi would be short-lived as the winds from Quetta would continue to blow for few days and might touch the speed of 30 to 40 kilome­tres an hour. 

Memon said the private weather station of Clifton had recorded up to 50.4 millimetre rain, which has inundated much of the ad­jacent areas specially DHA Khyaban-e-Shehbaz, where rainwater has entered houses and the draining work could not be started as of yet. 

DC INAUGURATES TREE PLANTATION CAMPAIGN

Deputy Commissioner Sanghar, Dr. Imran ul Has­san Khowaja said that trees were extremely essential for human life, as they were the biggest source of oxygen and food for living beings. He expressed these views while inaugurating the tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling in his office. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Muhammad Saleem Jatoi, Forest Officer Mumtaz Majeedano and other officers were also present on the occasion.