WEBDESK: Islamabad is expected to be partly cloudy and humid, with isolated rain and possible heavy falls today on Independence day. Kashmir will have partly cloudy weather with chances of heavy rain in some areas, while Gilgit Baltistan will see partly cloudy skies with isolated showers. In Lahore, rain is already falling and is predicted to continue until tomorrow, coinciding with Independence Day.
Isolated rain is occurring on Thursday in many areas of Islamabad.
Beside this the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted a new spell of rain, wind, and thundershowers in most parts of the country in the coming days.
Monsoon activity is expected to intensify from 17 August as moist currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal move into the upper parts of Pakistan. A westerly wave will also strengthen from the same date.
From 14 to 17 August, rain with scattered heavy falls is expected in Islamabad, Kashmir, upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Between 18 and 21 August, the wet spell will continue in the north, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Poonch. GB districts will also receive more rain.
KP’s Dir, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, and Mardan are likely to see heavy to very heavy falls. Southern districts such as Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan will also get occasional heavy showers.
Punjab, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Faisalabad, will get heavy rain between 18 and 21 August. Southern Punjab districts will see scattered showers.
Parts of Balochistan, such as Barkhan, Zhob, Khuzdar, Gwadar, and Panjgur, and Sindh cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, and Tharparkar, will get rain between 18 and 22 August.
The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) alert. Upper and Lower Chitral, Dir, Swat, and Upper Kohistan face flooding risks. The PDMA has also warned of landslides and flash floods, urging the public to avoid water channels.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) have been told to stay on standby for road clearance. The PDMA’s helpline 1700 is active for emergency reports.
Rain Predicted in Lahore and Punjab
The seventh monsoon spell has already reached Punjab, bringing light showers to Lahore since Thursday morning. Areas with rain include Lakshmi Chowk, Garhi Shahu, Railway Station, Mall Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Ichhra, Kalma Chowk, Liberty, Bhatti Gate, and Badami Bagh.
Rain is likely to continue in Lahore until tomorrow. Showers are also expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Khushab, D.G. Khan, Multan, and Bahawalpur.
Rain predicted in KP
Plain areas of KP will remain hot and humid. Rain is forecast for Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kurram, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, and Waziristan. Upper districts may see isolated heavy falls.
In the past 24 hours, most areas experienced hot and humid weather, with rain reported in upper KP, Islamabad, and Kashmir.
