Evening shifts in Sindh schools to remain suspended today amid heavy rain forecast

Evening shifts in all government and private schools across Sindh will remain suspended on Friday (March 1) amid warnings of heavy rainfall.

The announcement was made by the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department late Friday night on the orders of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Many cities in Sindh, including Karachi, are expected to receive heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday).

The Met Office said heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely in Karachi, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Thatta and other cities from March 1 and March 2 under the strong westerly wave system.

Isolated hailstorms in some parts of Karachi are also likely during the period, it added.

According to weather analyst Jawad Memon, powerful thunderstorm cells are currently present in the coastal areas of Balochistan, which are moving towards Sindh.

"Under its influence, rain activities may start in Karachi and adjoining areas in the next 3 to 4 hours," he said in his weather advisory issued at 8:17am in the morning.

However, in view of the rain forecast, the Sindh government has announced a half-day in government and private offices of the metropolitan city today.

Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab requested citizens to "avoid unnecessary movement to avert any inconvenience" during the rain.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah declared a rain-emergency in the province and the local bodies, administrations, and hospitals have been put on high alert amid rain predictions.