Cyclone Phet makes landfall near Karachi, Pakistan

Tropical Storm Phet never regained strength after passing over the eastern coast of Oman. The storm dropped from a Category 4 strength prior to striking Oman to a Cat 1 as it passed through the Arabian Sea.

Cyclone Phet weakens after Oman landfall, headed to Pakistan (Physorg)

When Phet made landfall in Oman on June 3, it caused landslides and floods in the eastern part of the country. After landfall Phet weakened and continued heading in a northeasterly direction up Oman's coast and back into the Arabian Sea.

(16 casualties have been reportedsince this report was published)

On June 4 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Tropical Cyclone Phet's maximum sustained inds were down to 65 knots (74 mph) making it a Category One cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. That's down from the Category Four cyclone it was before it made landfall yesterday. Phet is now 65 miles southeast of Musqat, Oman, near 22.9 North and 59.5 East. It's moving north-northeast near 6 knots (7 mph). Tropical Storm-force winds extend out to 115 miles from the center, so the storm has grown in size since it made landfall. It's now 230 miles in diameter.

On Sunday the storm made landfall around 80 km south of Karachi. Heavy rain caused flooding even in the city but wind damage appears to have been minimal. Ten deaths were caused by electrocution when electrical wires failed.

Phet makes landfall in Karachi (Al Jazeera)

A tropical storm has triggered torrential rains in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, damaging houses and submerging roads.

Heavy rainfall has already been reported in much of the city, and officials fear worse flooding is to come. Rains are expected to continue through the day on Monday.

Officials in Karachi said eight people have been killed by electrocution caused by the storm. They have tried to evacuate thousands from their homes along the country's southern coastline.

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In Karachi, hours of rain on Sunday left roads under more than 30cm of water. Electricity was cut in many districts in the mostly low-lying city of 18 million people.

Many parts of Karachi and other towns along Pakistan's coast are desperately poor. Roads, bridges, houses and drainage systems are already in bad condition, making them vulnerable to high winds, heavy rain and rough seas.