ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms across northern and central parts of the country on Wednesday night through Thursday, warning of flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides in vulnerable regions.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that 10 more people lost their lives in the past 24 hours due to rain-related incidents, bringing the nationwide monsoon death toll to at least 252 since late June.
The met office alert comes amid an active monsoon system expected to bring heavy to very heavy downpours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and parts of northeast Balochistan.
The country’s weather department stated that rain-wind/thundershowers are expected in Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of northeast Balochistan.
Heavy to very heavy falls are likely in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pothohar region, northeast Punjab and Kashmir during this period, PMD said.
PMD warns of flash floods
The weather department warned that intense rainfall could trigger flash floods in local streams and nullahs, particularly in Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Dir, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi and the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan and northeast Punjab.
The PMD also warns of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera and Peshawar.
Monsoon rains persist in most upper parts of Pakistan
July 23, 2025#PMD #WeatherAlert #heavyrainwatch #PakistanWeather #StormPreparedness #monsoon2025 #RainAlert #StaySafeStayPrepared pic.twitter.com/HXa7KIrMo9— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) July 23, 2025
There are also risks of landslides and mudslides that may lead to road closures in vulnerable hilly regions, including parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Sindh and most of Balochistan are forecast to experience hot and humid weather, although light rain or drizzle may occur in coastal areas of Sindh, while isolated thundershowers are possible in parts of northeast Balochistan, including Barkhan and Zhob.
Over the past 24 hours, heavy rains lashed several areas of Pakistan. Attock received 133 mm of rain, while Lahore recorded up to 104 mm at the airport.
According to PMD data, the highest temperature recorded on Wednesday was 46°C in Dalbandin, followed by Nokkundi at 45°C and Dadu at 43°C.
Islamabad recorded a minimum temperature of 24°C and a maximum of 30°C, while Lahore ranged between 21°C and 32°C.
Monsoon rain destruction
Heavy rains and flash floods have killed 10 more people across Pakistan in the last 24 hours as the monsoon spell intensifies, NDMA said on Wednesday.
According to the NDMA, four deaths were reported in Punjab, four in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and two in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). No casualties were reported in Sindh, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir.
Since the onset of the monsoon season in late June, at least 252 people have lost their lives and nearly 611 have been injured due to torrential rains, devastating floods, and storms that have swept across the country, the NDMA said.
The latest death toll represents a significant rise from the previous count of 242 reported on Tuesday.
Punjab has recorded the highest number of fatalities with 139 deaths, followed by KP with 60. Other severely affected regions include Sindh, which has reported 24 deaths, and Balochistan with 16.
In Islamabad, six people, including four children, were swept away by the floods. Five fatalities were also reported in G-B, while two deaths occurred in Azad Kashmir.
According to the NDMA, the total toll includes 121 children, 46 women, and 85 men.
