Heavy rain forecast in upper Punjab over next 24 hours
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has said that the province is currently experiencing the eighth spell of monsoon rains, with heavy showers forecast in the next 24 hours.
According to PDMA, during the past day, 126 mm of rain was recorded in Gujrat, 75 mm in Gujranwala, 70 mm in Sialkot, 68 mm in Murree, 62 mm in Jhelum, 38 mm in Bahawalnagar, 36 mm in Hafizabad, 33 mm in Rawalpindi, and 31 mm each in Bhakkar and Chakwal.
Rainfall was also reported in Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mangla, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Attock, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Toba Tek Singh, Shorkot, and Sahiwal.
PDMA’s spokesperson said the ongoing eighth spell of monsoon rains will continue until 27 August, with heavy downpours expected in upper Punjab, including Murree, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal.
PDMA Punjab Director General Irfan Ali Kathia has instructed the administration to remain on high alert and take special precautionary measures in vulnerable districts.
Stormy rains leave 10 dead in Punjab, KP, AJK
The eighth spell of monsoon rains has wreaked havoc across Pakistan, with torrential downpours lashing parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.
Weather alert for more rains
The Met Office has issued a nationwide alert for heavy rains until August 30, warning of further urban flooding, landslides and flash floods in several regions if downpours continue.
10 dead in Punjab, KP, AJK
At least 10 people lost their lives, and more than 60 were injured after houses collapsed in different areas. Low-lying neighbourhoods were submerged while electricity and water supplies were badly disrupted.
In Dera Ismail Khan, fierce winds of up to 100 km/h accompanied by heavy rain uprooted trees and toppled electricity poles, plunging the city into darkness.
The roofs of several houses caved in as the storm swept through the area. Similar destruction was reported from Mardan, where the collapse of a room’s roof during rain claimed one life and left two people injured.
Haripur and nearby districts were also hit by intense showers, forcing dam spillways to be opened.
Azad Kashmir saw landslides that brought down four houses and destroyed a mosque. In the federal capital region, Islamabad and Rawalpindi experienced flash flooding as streams overflowed.
Streets in Bhara Kahu and Athal Chowk were left underwater, with homes, shops, and vehicles inundated. The rising water level at Rawal Dam forced authorities to open the spillways.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, continuous showers turned many cities into flood zones. In Lahore, neighbourhoods including Gulberg, Jilani Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Garhi Shahu, Shad Bagh, Mughalpura, Jallo and GOR were swamped, with rainwater entering houses. Heavy downpours were also reported in Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum and Chiniot.
Chishtian, Sangla Hill and Chenab Nagar faced similar conditions, where strong winds and rain knocked down poles and tripped multiple feeders, halting both electricity and water supply.
Flood threat in Sutlej River
Kasur district was among the hardest hit. A high flood in the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala submerged dozens of villages and thousands of acres of farmland.
Water levels rose above 21 feet at the headworks, cutting off ground links to over 30 villages. Sulemanki headworks saw low-level flooding, while Guddu Barrage was facing high flood levels.
Risks of urban flooding
The situation was no different in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the risk of flash floods and urban flooding has grown in Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan.
In the northern belt, including Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Dir, Mansehra and Abbottabad, warnings of landslides were issued.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, fears of swelling water levels in the Gilgit River led authorities to shut down all hotels along its banks and announce the closure of riverside schools on Monday.
Elsewhere, torrential rains and hailstorms in Abbottabad and adjoining areas turned the Karakoram Highway into a lake, bringing traffic to a halt. Landslides also blocked Kohala Road, Patriata, Kotli Sattian Road and parts of the bypass.
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