ISLAMABAD: At least 19 people were killed and over 100 injured as powerful windstorms and heavy rains swept across central and northern Pakistan on Saturday, after an intense heatwave that pushed temperatures above 45°C.
The severe weather disrupted road and air traffic, damaged infrastructure, and caused widespread power outages across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the capital, Islamabad.
Fierce winds, thunder and lightning swept across eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well as the capital Islamabad on Saturday afternoon and evening, uprooting trees and downing electric poles.
While the majority of the deaths were caused by collapsing walls and roofs, at least two people died after being hit by solar panels dislodged by the whipping gusts.
One man was killed and three others were injured by lightning strikes.
Mazhar Hussain, a spokesperson for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority, told AFP that such windstorms develop because of excessive heat, which reached above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days.
“There were three to four days in the recent heatwave where temperatures went up quite a lot,” he said, adding that 100 people were injured in the powerful storms.
“This windstorm was particularly destructive. The wind speed was very high. There was so much dust in it that visibility was greatly reduced.”
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strong winds and hailstorms caused extensive damage to crops and power lines but no fatalities were reported. Over 113 power feeders tripped across the province, with areas like Peshawar, Mardan, Khyber, Swabi, Swat and Abbottabad worst affected.
According to the data provided by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab and Rescue 1122, three people died each in Lahore and Jhelum, two each in Sialkot and Muzaffargarh and one person each in Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Attock, Multan, Rajanpur, Hafizabad, Mianwali, Jhang and Layyah as the walls and roofs of the houses collapsed and trees fell on them.
Met office predicts more storms
The Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted more storms on Sunday.
Social media was replete on Saturday evening with videos of the damage the windstorms had unleashed.
A clip filmed inside a plane about to land in Punjab’s city of Lahore showed passengers screaming in terror as the aircraft was tossed about by turbulence.
The plane was later diverted to Karachi.
Other videos show cars crushed by falling trees and roads blocked by debris.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia directed deputy commissioners and rescue agencies across Punjab to remain alert amid reports of wind and rain in various districts of the province, the authority said in a statement.
Motorway Police closed several motorways, including sections of M2, M3 and the Lahore-Sialkot route, due to safety concerns. Severe weather and low visibility were reported on parts of the M4 and M5, while thunderstorms disrupted travel across highways linking Lahore to Multan and beyond.
Power infrastructure was also hit hard, with Multan’s power utility Mepco confirming faults across south Punjab’s grid, leading to temporary blackouts in Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Sahiwal.
The Water and Sanitation Agency in Lahore reported full mobilisation of machinery and pumps to clear underpasses.
Climate change impact
Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, is grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
Islamabad experienced several usually rare hail storms throughout April and May that damaged vehicles, smashing window panes and shattering solar panels.
Soaring temperatures in April and May are becoming more common in Pakistan, which usually sees summer begin in early June.
Temperatures reached near-record levels in April, as high as 46.5C (115.7F) in parts of Punjab.
Schools in Punjab and Balochistan have announced early summer vacations because of the heat.
