ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weather department on Thursday warned of torrential monsoon rains across much of the country from August 23 to 29, cautioning of flash floods, landslides and urban flooding in major cities as the South Asian nation is reeling from earlier downpours.
In an alert, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are likely to reach upper Pakistan from August 22, with a westerly weather system also expected to hit northern areas the same night.
Under these conditions, widespread rains are forecast for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from August 23 to 27. While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is expected to see heavy downpours between August 23 and 26.
Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, and the capital Islamabad, are predicted to receive widespread showers with heavy falls from August 23 to 27. Parts of Sindh and Balochistan will also be affected.
“Torrential rains may generate flash floods in streams and nullahs of northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan,” the Met Office said.
The weather department also warned of possible urban flooding in low-lying areas of Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Mardan.
The Met Office added that landslides and mudslides were feared in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Murree, while strong winds and lightning could damage weak structures, electric poles, vehicles and billboards.
Authorities have been advised to remain on “high alert” and take precautionary measures, while the public, including travellers and tourists, were urged to avoid unnecessary movement in vulnerable areas.
The warning comes after weeks of intense rains that triggered deadly floods across Pakistan. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone, more than 400 people have been killed in rain-related incidents since August 14, according to the provincial disaster management authority, while several homes, roads and bridges have been washed away.
In 2022, record floods submerged a third of the country, killing more than 1700 people. The South Asian country remains highly vulnerable to erratic weather patterns linked to climate change.
Officials fear that fresh downpours could worsen humanitarian needs in already affected areas and displace more families.
