The westerly wave sent winds howling at 97 kilometres per hour through Mauripur and 90 along Sharea Faisal. Electricity supply was suspended across large parts of the city as a precaution and the chief minister placed municipal bodies on high alert. But when all of that still cannot prevent 20 deaths from a brief pre-season westerly wave, the question becomes about why Karachi's infrastructure remains so broken that even a routine spell of rain is enough to kill. If a small duration of rain can trigger fatal collapses and urban paralysis, then the issue is not the intensity of the rain but the fragility of the city. Karachi must move beyond temporary fixes and adopt a comprehensive urban resilience strategy.

Source: The Express Tribune March 19, 2026 20:17 UTC