Karachi is officially a fairly dry city, averaging only around 200 mm (about 8 inches) of rain a year, but nearly all of it arrives in a short, intense monsoon window from July to September, which is exactly what makes it so disruptive. Because the city receives so little rain the rest of the year, drainage infrastructure sees little regular use and is often poorly maintained or blocked by debris, so even a single heavy monsoon spell can cause severe flash flooding across large parts of the city, as happened dramatically during the 2020 monsoon season. Low-lying and informally developed neighborhoods tend to be hit hardest, with floodwater sometimes taking days to fully recede. Because the entire annual rainfall risk here is compressed into just a handful of intense summer storms, radar tracking during monsoon season is one of the most valuable real-time tools available to residents and local authorities. The Pakistan Meteorological Department operates the country’s weather radar network.
Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map