ISLAMABAD: Heavy monsoon rain battered Pakistan’s capital on Monday, causing flash floods in a popular tourist spot, Saidpur Village, near the Margalla Hills in Islamabad.
The heavy downpour turned streets into fast-flowing streams, sweeping away cars and damaging infrastructure. The flooding exposed serious problems in the city’s drainage system and raised concerns about poor planning in urban areas.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Islamabad’s Saidpur Village recorded the highest rainfall in the region with 147 millimetres. The heavy downpour began around 2:30 pm, with torrents of muddy water surging through narrow streets and across popular dining spots such as the Des Pardes restaurant.
Today’s rain saidpur Islamabad pic.twitter.com/Fl40wJMbGh
— Saleh Mughal (@SalehMughal) July 21, 2025
According to a press release issued by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the rainfall in Islamabad has broken previous records, marking the heaviest downpour in the capital since 2001.
The CDA reported 198mm of rain in Bokra near Sector I-12, 184mm in Golra adjacent to Sector E-11, 175mm at the PMD station near Sector H-8, and 157mm in Saidpur near the Margalla Hills.
Videos circulating on social media showed alarming scenes of chaos, with cars, vans, and motorcycles being swept away by the gushing water.
Saidpur Village Islamabad during today’s rain pic.twitter.com/uehWRZqQN6
— Malik Ali Raza (@MalikAliiRaza) July 21, 2025
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon confirmed that 127mm of rain fell within just 90 minutes, adding that residents had constructed temporary crossings over natural streams, which contributed to the flooding.
He said that two cars and a motorcycle were damaged after being swept into the water. “These vehicles were parked in the path of streams, not on designated roads,” he said.
Authorities said the flash flooding was intensified by illegal constructions and encroachments that blocked natural drainage paths.
“These encroachments have turned our drainage system into a death trap during heavy rains,” said a CDA spokesperson. He added that at least eight vehicles were submerged before emergency responders could secure the area.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an urgent alert for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and surrounding regions, forecasting more than 50mm of rainfall in the next 12 hours.
The authority warned of potential flash floods in low-lying areas and along stormwater drains (nullahs), which crisscross the twin cities.
The NDMA’s warning follows the devastating monsoon floods in Punjab province on July 17. Between June 26 and July 17, monsoon-related incidents across Pakistan led to the deaths of 178 people, with 491 injuries, according to NDMA data.
#Water will make its way…#globalwarming is no joke, but illegal construction, housing societies that r built on water ways are also a big menace for casualties and destruction.#Pakistan #Islamabad #saidpur #rain pic.twitter.com/Z2WMtZnPub
— Sabeeh Fasihi (@sabeehfasihi) July 21, 2025
Dr Samina Khalil, a climate scientist at Islamabad’s Climate Research Centre, said such weather patterns were consistent with global climate change projections.
“What we’re seeing aligns with climate change models predicting more intense, concentrated rainfall events,” she said. “Our cities were built for the weather patterns of the past, not for these new climate realities.”
As of Monday evening, thick cloud cover remained over Islamabad and parts of Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Kashmir, with weather cells continuing to develop.
Satellite imagery at 6 pm showed cloud movement from northwest to southeast, suggesting further rainfall overnight and into Tuesday.
The PMD said the current fourth monsoon wave is driven by moist currents from the Arabian Sea, along with a westerly wave affecting the upper and western regions of Pakistan.
From 21 to 25 July, the weather department has forecast heavy rains in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, the Potohar region, and parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Kashmir.
Urban flooding is expected in major cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Peshawar, while landslides may affect hilly areas including Murree, Galliyat, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.
