Southern parts of Sindh, including Karachi, are set to experience “more than usual” monsoon rains this year, expected to commence in the first week of July, according to weather experts speaking to Geo News.
The weather analysts predict the arrival of the monsoon season in Karachi in early July, driven by a “medium-level pressure over the Arabian Sea” likely to form on June 30. This pressure system is expected to trigger the first spell of downpours in the port city at the beginning of July.
“The medium-level pressure is expected to develop over the Arabian Sea on June 30, leading to the initial rainfall spell in Karachi in early July,” said one analyst.
Across Pakistan, the monsoon season is forecasted to start between June 27 and July 4. Experts anticipate “more than usual rains” in the southern areas of Sindh, including Karachi this year. However, the experts have termed this a “long-term forecast,” indicating that further changes could occur as the season progresses.
Previously, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in its daily forecast indicated that primarily very hot and dry weather is expected across most plain areas of the country during the daytime. However, gusty winds and isolated rain-thunderstorms are expected in northeast Punjab, Islamabad, the Potohar region, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan during the evening and night.
The PMD also predicted a possibility of drizzle in some areas of Karachi late Wednesday night. Despite this, the weather in the port city is expected to remain hot and humid over the next 24 hours.
‘Below-Normal Rainfall’ in India
In contrast, India is likely to receive below-normal rainfall in June due to slow monsoon progress, raising concerns for the agricultural sector of Asia’s third-largest economy.
Summer rains, crucial to India’s economic growth, typically start in the south around June 1 before spreading nationwide by July 8, enabling farmers to plant key crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane.
The state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the country is expected to receive below-normal rains, defined as less than 92% of the long-period average rainfall.
Since June 1, India has received 20% less rainfall than normal, with most regions, except for a few southern states, experiencing shortfalls. Some northwestern states are also dealing with heat waves.
The monsoon season is vital for India’s nearly $3.5-trillion economy, delivering almost 70% of the rain needed to water farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers.
