KARACHI: The local authorities have announced the closure of all public and private schools in Karachi today (Friday) amid heavy rain forecast.

In a statement on late Thursday, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Ali Naqvi said the decision has been taken after consulting the Met Office and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The development came as Karachi has been experiencing intermittent rainfall since Wednesday with the heavy rain expected to lash the metropolis in the next few hours.

The strong monsoon system near Tharparkar and India’s Rann of Kutch may penetrate into Karachi, Hyderabad and other districts, bringing torrential rains with thunderstorm, the Met Office said on Wednesday.

It had said Karachi was likely to receive from 150 to 200 millimeters of rain in the next three days.

According to the meteorological department, there is a possibility of intermittent rain in various parts of Sindh, including Karachi, until August 31, with strong winds and thunderstorms, and heavy downpours in some places.

Speaking during Geo News programme 'Geo Pakistan', PMD Meteorologist Anjum Nazir Zaighum said a strong weather system was still present 270 km away from Karachi in the north-east.

“The weather system will increase its intensity marginally, when it will reach the Arabian Sea, and form a cyclone storm for about one and a half days,” he warned.

In the Arabian Sea, Zaigham maintained, an average cyclone lasted for three to four days.

The weather department, in its daily report, said wind was blowing at a speed of 13km from south-western side in the port city.

Meanwhile, schools in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sajawal, Badin, Tandwalayar, Sanghar will remain closed on Friday, owing to the rain forecast.