India could trigger floods in Pakistan, weather department's alert create panic in Islamabad due to...; Here's what is happening
Tensions between India and Pakistan over river water sharing have flared up again. On Tuesday, Pakistan's weather department (PMD) warned that if India releases too much water from rivers that flow into Pakistan, it could lead to flooding in many areas. The warning comes at a time when heavy monsoon rains are expected, along with the risk of sudden floods caused by melting glaciers, known as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). More rains on the horizon
Khan noted that the current monsoon spell is likely to last until Friday, July 25, followed by another round of heavy showers towards the end of the month. This continued rainfall, especially in the northern regions, could raise water levels dangerously and increase the flood threat.
'Rain is steadily raising dam levels, and though things are under control, the danger hasn't passed. A new weather system is expected by month's end, and it may bring intense rainfall,' he warned. Melting glaciers, global crisis, Pakistan pays the price
Despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, Pakistan remains one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Khan pointed to rising climate unpredictability, cloudbursts, and rapid glacier melt as growing threats.
'Pakistan's share in global pollution is negligible, yet we are among the worst-hit by climate shifts,' he said. 'Unusually heavy rainfall and rapidly melting glaciers are creating dangerous and unpredictable conditions.'
With already strained resources and a fragile climate, Pakistan now braces for a critical few weeks—caught between nature's fury and geopolitical anxieties.
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India.com
3 days ago
- India.com
India could trigger floods in Pakistan, weather department's alert create panic in Islamabad due to...; Here's what is happening
India could trigger floods in Pakistan, weather department's alert create panic in Islamabad due to...; Here's what is happening Tensions between India and Pakistan over river water sharing have flared up again. On Tuesday, Pakistan's weather department (PMD) warned that if India releases too much water from rivers that flow into Pakistan, it could lead to flooding in many areas. The warning comes at a time when heavy monsoon rains are expected, along with the risk of sudden floods caused by melting glaciers, known as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). More rains on the horizon Khan noted that the current monsoon spell is likely to last until Friday, July 25, followed by another round of heavy showers towards the end of the month. This continued rainfall, especially in the northern regions, could raise water levels dangerously and increase the flood threat. 'Rain is steadily raising dam levels, and though things are under control, the danger hasn't passed. A new weather system is expected by month's end, and it may bring intense rainfall,' he warned. Melting glaciers, global crisis, Pakistan pays the price Despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, Pakistan remains one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Khan pointed to rising climate unpredictability, cloudbursts, and rapid glacier melt as growing threats. 'Pakistan's share in global pollution is negligible, yet we are among the worst-hit by climate shifts,' he said. 'Unusually heavy rainfall and rapidly melting glaciers are creating dangerous and unpredictable conditions.' With already strained resources and a fragile climate, Pakistan now braces for a critical few weeks—caught between nature's fury and geopolitical anxieties.
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First Post
19-07-2025
- First Post
Rains wreak havoc in Pakistan's Punjab, over 70 dead in past 48 hours
The death toll crossed the 100 mark as heavy rains battered Pakistan's Punjab, with more than 70 rain-related deaths occurring in the last 48 hours. read more At least ten more people lost their lives across Pakistan's Punjab on Friday as heavy rains and flash floods took over the province. The death toll in the floods crossed the 100 mark, with more than 70 rain-related deaths occurring in the last 48 hours. So far, 123 people have been killed and around 462 injured since June 25, as the province received record rainfall. The turbulent weather triggered urban flooding, which inundated residential areas, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said, as per the report by Pakistani news outlet Dawn News. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 71 of the total deaths were reported in the past two days alone. When it comes to the weather, the authorities warned that there will be no respite from torrential rain anytime soon. In light of this, Pakistan's Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert for more downpours from July 20. Flood alert across Pakistan's Punjab PMD also issued a separate alert of a high-level flood in the River Indus at Kalabagh and Chashma over the next 24 hours, with authorities being asked to take precautionary measures, Dawn reported. In a briefing on the rescue operation carried out in the flooded areas, PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia noted that more than 1,000 people were rescued and were shifted to a safe place in the Pothohar region. This comprised 398 people from Jhelum, 209 from Chawal and 450 from Rawalpindi. The PMD advisory issued on Friday, directed the provincial and district administrations to take precautionary measures as rains with wind and thundershowers are predicted from July 20. The advisory also warned of urban flooding and landslides. The Met Office noted that monsoon currents are currently penetrating Sindh and the upper parts of the country and are likely to intensify from July 20. They noted that a fresh westerly wave is likely to approach the country's north on July 21. More rains predicted in coming days from today (July 18, 2025) — Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) July 18, 2025 In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, rainfall and thunderstorms are expected in Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar from July 20 to 26. In Balochistan, similar weather conditions are predicted in Lasbella, Awaran, Khuzdar, Quetta, Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Ziarat, Kalat, Sherani, Musakhel, Loralai and Barkhan on July 19 and from July 22 to 25. Apart from this, urban flooding is expected in low-lying areas such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera and Peshawar. Landslides may cause road closures in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and GB.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- The Hindu
Flood without rain in Nepal raises concerns about Glacial Lake Outbursts
There were no rain forecasts, so no warning alert as such. But early Tuesday, massive floods on the Bhotekoshi river in Rasuwa, a district bordering China, killed at least nine people and left 19 missing. Nepal's police and Army personnel carried out search and rescue operations throughout Tuesday, as authorities assessed the extent of the damage. The floods also swept away the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge, disconnecting one of the key trade points between Nepal and China. Among the missing are 11 Nepalese, six Chinese, and two police personnel. Officials and scientists, meanwhile, scrambled to find the cause of the flooding that occurred without rain. 'It is certain by now that it was not a rain-induced flooding,' said Binod Pokhrel, an associate professor at the Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology at Tribhuvan University. 'Weather forecasts and satellite data showed no rainfall in the Tibet region.' Nepal's mountainous terrain is vulnerable to monsoon floods that kill scores of people and damage property every year. While government authorities have been working on early warning systems, they have not been as effective as desired. Erratic rainfall, floods, landslides, and avalanches have become more frequent — and deadlier — in recent years, due in part to changing climate patterns, which are increasingly causing GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods). In an inventory prepared in 2020 by the Integrated Centre for Mountain Development (ICIMOD), of the more than 3,000 glacial lakes in Nepal, Tibet, and India, 47 were identified as potentially dangerous. Cause unclear After the Rasuwa flooding, the ICIMOD said in a statement that it is too early to definitively determine the exact cause of the flood event. 'However, we can confirm that extreme rainfall was not the cause. A comprehensive investigation is required, but we need to wait for the monsoon cloud cover to clear first to obtain clear satellite imagery for detailed analysis,' it said. 'While a GLOF or a Landslide Lake Outburst Flood is suspected, there is no conclusive evidence yet.' ICIMOD's 2021 inventory shows that one glacial lake upstream of the Trishuli River in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China is categorised as high risk and needs close monitoring. According to a recent ICIMOD study, the size of glacial lakes in the upper basin increased by 33%, and their number by 16%, within three decades from 1990 to 2020. Ngamindra Dahal, a water and climate analyst, says Nepal needs to adopt a multi-scale approach to mitigate the disasters it is facing, especially in the northern region. 'Rasuwa floods should not be viewed in isolation. I call them synchronised events, given similar flood events in the past in the northern region,' he said. He stressed the need for a study based on local patterns in order to forecast — and respond to — such disasters. 'Haphazard construction, including that of hydropower projects, can have cascading effects, resulting in floods.' Mr. Dahal has been calling for a new approach to studying Nepal's Himalayas by incorporating organic data and understanding. 'Authorities are not only ignoring local patterns; they are undermining science as well,' he said. 'Their refusal to assimilate local knowledge and Nepali scientists — and their overreliance on those who may lack an exact understanding of the locality — is not helping either.' Information-sharing issues The surprise floods have also raised questions about whether there was any prior information from the Chinese side. Officials said that a few weeks ago, China had issued a notice to exercise caution along the riverbanks of rivers originating in Tibet. But since there was no forecast for rain, the occurrence of floods, according to experts, raises suspicions that something unusual may have happened. Mr. Pokhrel says it is not possible to forecast rainfall that leads to flooding days in advance. 'When such a notice was issued back then, and now floods have occurred, it raises the suspicion that this might have resulted from some kind of incident or accident,' he said Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, which forecasts floods and rains, also says there is no established mechanism for information sharing on floods and rains from the northern side. Mr. Dahal says Nepali authorities are also to blame, given the failure to recognise extreme weather events and work on preparedness measures. Economic impact Authorities said that besides the bridge linking Nepal and China being swept away, at least 24 container trucks with goods and 35 electric vehicles were also washed away. A customs port in Rasuwa and a hydropower project dam also suffered damage. With the linking bridge gone, trade through the Rasuwa border point — Nepal's second major trade point with China — has come to a complete halt. This route, officially opened in December 2014, was upgraded to an international checkpoint in 2017, allowing cross-border travel. The border point, however, remained inoperable for three years as China decided to close it due to COVID-19 restrictions, before it was reopened in April 2023. Records at the Department of Customs show that 30–40 fully loaded cargo containers were entering Nepal via the Rasuwa border point until Monday. Rains, floods, and landslides during the monsoon, which begins in June and lasts until September, are a major killer in Nepal, with 31 reported dead as of July 1 this year. In recent years, extreme weather events have been increasingly reported in the mountain regions, which is concerning due to the lack of quick response mechanisms compared to the plains. Mr. Dahal says that while the monsoon is climbing to higher altitudes, rising temperatures are causing ice to melt faster. Studies suggest the Himalaya is melting twice as fast as the global average. 'Chances are that the glaciers underneath could have melted suddenly due to rising temperatures, causing the early Tuesday floods in Rasuwa,' said Mr. Dahal. 'More comprehensive studies are required urgently before it's too late.' (Sanjeev Satgainya is an independent journalist based in Kathmandu)
