Pakistan weather office warns of heavy rains as Punjab issues urban flooding alert
The PMD said the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala is expected to rise to low flood levels during the period, while the Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad, along with the nullahs of the Ravi, could reach medium to high flows in the next 24 hours.
Scattered thunderstorms and rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy downpours are likely over the upper catchments of the Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum rivers, as well as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Zhob and DG Khan divisions.
Punjab's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) separately issued an alert for the seventh spell of the monsoon from Aug. 13-15, predicting heavy rains in most districts, particularly Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, and DG Khan.
'There is a risk of urban flooding in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Sialkot, as well as flash flooding in riverside nullahs due to heavy rains,' PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said in an alert, adding that possible landslides in Murree and Galiyat and damage to vulnerable buildings could not be ruled out.
The PDMA also directed commissioners and deputy commissioners to remain alert and ensure civil defense, rescue and other relevant agencies complete advance preparations.
It urged the public to follow safety guidelines, avoid unnecessary travel and, in case of urban or flash flooding, remain in safe areas and never attempt to cross flowing water.
ADVANCE MONSOON ALERTS
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for advance alerts for residents in areas vulnerable during the monsoon season, following deadly mudslides in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
One of Pakistan's most popular tourist destinations, GB is home to some of the world's tallest peaks, glaciers and fast-running streams.
Despite its strategic location as Pakistan's only land route to China, however, the region's limited infrastructure leaves it vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods, flash floods and landslides, underscoring the need for stronger disaster management measures.
In a meeting with the prime minister, the top National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, briefed on progress 'toward making the early warning system in Gilgit-Baltistan fully operational and enhancing cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change in this regard,' according to a PM Office statement.
'The NDMA should further strengthen its coordination with the provinces for assistance and rehabilitation of victims of the recent rains and flooding,' Sharif was quoted as saying during the meeting.
'People in vulnerable areas must be given advance alerts in view of weather conditions and possible emergencies,' he added.
According to the NDMA, seven people were killed and six injured in a mudslide in Gilgit's Danyore Nullah area over the weekend.
The monsoon season, which began on June 26, has so far claimed 312 lives and injured 740 people nationwide.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
36 minutes ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Pakistan over deadly floods
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday extended its condolences to Pakistan following severe floods and torrents that have killed at least 169 people in the past 24 hours, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's 'sincere condolences and sympathy' to the government and people of Pakistan, affirming Saudi Arabia's solidarity 'during this painful event' and with the families of the deceased, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery, SPA added. Heavy monsoon rains have triggered landslides and flash floods across northern Pakistan, with the National Disaster Management Authority reporting that most of the fatalities, 150, were in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nine deaths were recorded in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and five in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
More than 160 people killed as monsoon rains lash Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Heavy monsoon rains have triggered landslides and flash floods across a remote region of northern Pakistan, killing at least 164 people in the last 24 hours, disaster authorities said majority of the deaths, 150, were recorded in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, it 60 people have been Bajaur, Mansehra and Battagram have been declared disaster-hit Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd amassed around an excavator trawling a mud-soaked hill, AFP photos prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for the northwest, urging people to avoid 'unnecessary exposure to vulnerable areas.'In the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, a region divided with Pakistan, rescuers pulled bodies from mud and rubble on Friday after a flood crashed through a Himalayan village, killing at least 60 people and washing away dozens monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of say that climate change has made weather events around the world more extreme and more is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as 'unusual' by authorities, have killed more than 320 people, nearly half of them of the deaths were caused by collapsing houses, flash floods and July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Over 150 killed in 24 hours as rains, floods batter northern Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: At least 146 people were killed in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and eight in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region over the past 24 hours as heavy rains and flash floods triggered multiple deadly incidents, figures from disaster authority officials showed. Pakistan, which contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Nationwide deaths since this year's monsoon season began in late June have crossed 460, according to an Arab News tally, evoking memories of 2022 when catastrophic monsoon rains and glacial melt submerged a third of the country, killing more than 1,700 people and causing over $30 billion in damages. Scientists say rising temperatures are making South Asia's monsoon rains more erratic and intense, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. 'During the last 24 hours, 146 people have died and 15 have been injured in different incidents due to rains and flash floods,' the PDMA said in its preliminary report about the situation in KP province. 'Among the deceased are 126 men, 8 women and 12 children, while the injured include 12 men, 2 women and 1 child.' The authority said 35 houses were damaged, including 28 partially and seven completely destroyed. The incidents were reported in Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Upper and Lower Dir, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts. 'The most affected districts due to heavy rains and flash floods are Buner, Bajaur and Battagram, where rescue operations are still ongoing,' the PDMA said. 'Two helicopters have been dispatched to Bajaur and Buner for rescue operations.' Pakistan's largest TV news channel Geo News reported that one of the government helicopters sent to Bajaur had crashed with three onboard. Arab News could not independently verify this. The PDMA warned that the current spell of heavy rains was expected to continue intermittently until August 21 and directed all district administrations to take precautionary measures. 'PDMA, all relevant institutions, relief teams, district administration and Rescue 1122 are in contact and monitoring the situation,' the statement added. Separately, officials in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region confirmed eight deaths in Ghizer and Diamer districts after homes were swept away by floods and landslides.
