Heavy downpour buffets City

LAHORE - The city received heavy downpour on Wednesday disturbing routine life as the rainwater inundated on a number of main roads not only in low lying areas but also in several posh localities. The weather pundits have predicted more rains during the next 24 hours. Met office recorded 21mm rain at the Jail Road and 68mm rain at the Airport. The heavy rains added to the woes and miseries of the motorists and pedestrians, as the rainwater inundated on a number of roads. It took hours to WASA to clear inundated rainwater from certain the city localities. The inundated rainwater on roadsides and slippery conditions of roads caused frequent traffic jams on a number of important roads, including The Mall. Several incidents of skidding of motorcycles were also reported from various parts of the city. However, the rains provided some respite to the Lahorites from the prevailing scorching weather conditions by decreasing the mercury level. Prior to the rains, the muggy weather was causing the Lahorites to sweat. However, the weather again turned muggy after the rain. On Wednesday, maximum and minimum temperature in the city was recorded 37 degree Celsius and 27 C respectively. Relative humidity in the morning was recorded 67 per cent, which increased to 85 per cent in the evening. According to the Met office, Tuesdays' monsoon low over south-eastern Madhya Pradesh has moved north-northwest and on Wednesday it lies over northeastern parts of Madhya Pradesh. Weak monsoon current from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea is reaching Punjab and Kashmir upto 5,000 miles speed. Seasonal low lies over northwest Balochistan. Local meteorological department has forecast scattered rains with moderate rainfall at isolated places for Sindh, Kashmir and northeastern Punjab. Light rain is expected over upper NWFP, Makran Coast and northeastern Balochistan. Met office has forecast scattered rains for Lahore, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala divisions, isolated rains for Sargodha and Faisalabad divisions and partly cloudy weather for the remaining parts of the province. On Wednesday, Karachi received 60mm rain, Badin 52mm, Kotli 16mm, Sialkot 11mm, Parachinar 2mm, Hyderabad 1mm, while Murree received traces of rain. Meanwhile, three devotees including a woman died while five others were seriously injured when roof of a house-cum-shrine collapsed at Ibrahim Colony near Jorey Pull due to heavy rain here on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Rubina Tariq, 30, Imran, 28, and Shahid, 24, while injured who were rushed to the Services Hospital are Bakar Ali, Irshad Begum, Razia, a minor Arslan and Janglu Shah. The Police said the incident took place due to dilapidated condition of the Pir Janglu Shah house-cum-shrine's single storey building situated at Jorey Pul. Its roof caved in during heavy downpour when around a dozen devotees were present there six of them trapped under the debris while others escaped unhurt. Rescue 1122 officials rushed to the spot in four vehicles and launched rescue operation. It took them two hours to evacuate injured people from the debris due to heavy rain. A police official ASI Shaukat Ali confirmed the death of three persons including a woman saying that the owner of the house-cum-shrine was Janglu Shah who was also among the injured.

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