Karachi administration has declared a public holiday in the port city as the officials prepare to cope with torrential rains and possible urban flooding in wake of Cyclone Shaheen.
“Keeping in view the situation resulting from the expected tropical cyclone shaheen and the rainfall, it has been decided that Friday the 1st of October will be a public holiday. All offices, educational institutions & businesses except essential services shall remain closed in Karachi.”
Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab
Meanwhile, the commissioner’s office has issued a notification directing all educational institutions, offices, and businesses to remain close. It further ordered to remove all hoardings and billboards in the country’s largest metropolis with immediate effect.
The Karachi University has also canceled all scheduled exams for today while the new date will be announced later.
Heavy rains are expected in the country’s South Eastern region till October 2, Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said earlier today.
Speaking in a morning show, he clarified that it is not right to call it Cyclone Gulab after it hit the Indian coast and made landfall. Adding that, the new system is capable to become a cyclone in the next eight hours and is currently at a deep depression stage.
Sarfaraz further added that the rains will continue over the weekend while the alert stays in place for people working near ports and for fishermen.
A recent forecast issued by the Met Office stated that extensive rain and thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall could also turn into extremely heavy rain with squally (strong) winds in Karachi, Hyderabad, and other cities till Oct 2.
