ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weather department on Monday forecast heavy rainfall across various parts of the country, warning of heightened risks of urban flooding, landslides and flash floods. Authorities have placed emergency services on alert as torrential monsoon conditions intensify.
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), heavy rains are expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Sindh.
Flash flooding is likely in rivers and streams in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Mansehra and Abbottabad, as well as Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan, PMD stated.
Low-lying areas of Murree, Galiyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, northeast Punjab, Dera Ghazi Khan and Azad Kashmir are also at risk of inundation, while landslides in mountainous areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may disrupt road traffic, the weather department cautioned.
Urban centres such as Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar and Nowshera could experience significant water accumulation in low-lying neighbourhoods.
The weather department said heavy rains are expected in the Potohar region and parts of northeast Punjab, while southeastern Sindh may also receive showers. Hot and humid weather, however, is likely to persist in other areas.
High alert in Punjab
Meanwhile, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a high alert for the next 48 hours, cautioning of torrential rainfall, urban flooding and possible riverine floods.
A PDMA spokesperson said monsoon activity in upper catchments could raise water levels in the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers, with high to very high floods feared. Flash flooding is also expected in the northern and north-eastern districts of Punjab.
The Director General of PDMA instructed divisional and district administrations to remain vigilant, pre-position rescue teams at sensitive points and alert residents in case of intense downpours.
The disaster management authority stated that alerts had been sent to all commissioners and deputy commissioners across the Punjab province.
India releases water in Sutlej River
Meanwhile, floodwaters surged into Bahawalnagar after India released water into the Sutlej River, causing the situation to deteriorate rapidly.
According to media reports, two people lost their lives on Sunday as the river breached protective embankments near Baba Farid Bridge and Bhukan Patan, submerging villages and farmland. Rescue 1122 reported that 928 people and hundreds of livestock were moved to safer areas.
Local residents, cited by media reports, said thousands of acres of standing crops, including cotton, rice, maize, vegetables and fodder, had been destroyed. Farmers expressed despair at the loss of livelihoods.
The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) and Federal Flood Commission (FFC) warned that the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala is expected to remain in high flood for several days, with water flow exceeding 130,000 cusecs.
Rising levels in the Ravi and Chenab rivers are also feared. Officials cautioned that medium to high flows are likely in tributaries over the next 48 hours, with flash floods anticipated in Dera Ghazi Khan and northeastern Balochistan.
Since the start of monsoon rains in late June, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported 785 deaths in rain-related incidents nationwide.
