ISLAMABAD: Torrential monsoon rains lashed Pakistan’s twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Monday, inundating roads, submerging low-lying areas, and prompting authorities to issue flood alerts.
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) said that a rain emergency had been declared across Rawalpindi, with staff and heavy machinery deployed in the field.
“We are fully monitoring the rainfall and have taken all necessary precautions to deal with any situation,” WASA Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said in a statement.
According to official rainfall data, Islamabad’s H-8 sector recorded the heaviest downpour at 98 millimetres, followed by 76 mm in Golra, 63 mm in New Katarian, 52 mm in Bokra, 45 mm in Saidpur and Pirwadhai, 28 mm in Shamsabad, and 5 mm in Gawalmandi.
In Rawalpindi, Nullah Lai—the main drainage channel—rose to 15.7 feet at Katarian, surpassing the pre-alert level of 15.3 feet. At Gawalmandi, water reached 5 feet against the pre-alert threshold of 8.3 feet.
Cloud Burst in Islamabad ? #Rain #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/KWaKjFtpov
— Shehzad Qureshi (@ShehxadGulHasen) September 1, 2025
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Hassan Waqar Cheema visited several areas and said that an advanced warning system had been activated.
He said civic agencies and Rescue 1122 teams had been placed on high alert, with staff and equipment deployed in vulnerable neighbourhoods. “We urge residents to avoid going near drains and water reservoirs,” the DC said.
Continuous monitoring of Nullah Lai and other storm drains was under way, WASA added, as water levels surged amid ongoing rainfall.
Evacuation alerts were issued for residents along Nullah Lai, with authorities urging families to relocate to safer ground.
Heavy to very heavy rain in Islamabad 🇵🇰 this evening.
Prayers for everyone safety (Ameen 🤲)#Islamabad | #CloudBrust | #Rain | #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/1zIOLDyT4j
— Malik SHOUJAAT 🇵🇰🇵🇰 (@Malok_Shoujaat) September 1, 2025
More rainfall forecast
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast more heavy rainfall through midweek, raising fears of worsening flood conditions.
Earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that a new spell of intense monsoon rains from Monday to Wednesday could aggravate the already critical situation across Punjab province.
The National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) said districts at risk include Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Murree, Jhelum, Attock, Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Hafizabad, along with major urban centres such as Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan.
Authorities warned that heavy rainfall in upper catchment areas could swell the Indus River system, with possible flood surges at Marala Headworks and adjoining regions.
Pakistan has been battered by torrential rains since late June. The NDMA reported at least 863 deaths in rain-related incidents nationwide since late June.
The flooding has inundated vast stretches of farmland, destroyed crops, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, compounding the country’s humanitarian crisis.
