The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast another widespread spell of monsoon rain across the country from July 29 to August 5, warning of urban flooding in major cities and flash flooding in local streams and nullahs (Geo News).
In an advisory issued on Tuesday, the department said monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are likely to penetrate the upper and central parts of the country from July 29. A westerly wave now affecting the northern areas is expected to strengthen from August 1, bringing widespread rain and thundershowers to most upper and central districts.
Rain and thundershowers with scattered heavy and at times very heavy falls are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad and Sialkot from July 29 to August 4, with occasional gaps. Similar conditions are forecast for Narowal, Lahore, Okara, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Khushab, Mianwali, Layyah, Bhakkar, Noorpur Thal, Sargodha, Sahiwal and Pakpattan.
South Punjab — Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur, Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur — is forecast to see rain, wind and thundershowers with scattered heavy falls from July 31 to August 3.
In Sindh, isolated moderate to heavy falls are expected in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Karachi, Matiari, Jamshoro and Shaheed Benazirabad from July 31 to August 2, with the northern districts of Ghotki, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and Thatta seeing similar conditions.
Separately, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued a glacial lake outburst flood advisory for the northern areas, placing Chitral, Upper Kohistan and Swat on high alert. Rising temperatures combined with intermittent rainfall could accelerate glacier melt and raise the volume and level of glacial lakes, the authority said, warning that a sudden burst could trigger flash floods threatening lives, property and infrastructure (Geo News).
The advisory notes that thousands of tourists, many from Punjab and Lahore, travel to the northern regions in summer. Authorities have been directed to monitor vulnerable sites continuously, issue timely warnings, run evacuation drills in high-risk areas and prepare designated shelters.
