PESHAWAR/RAWALPINDI: With flash floods and landslides causing devastation across northern Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a fresh warning of more intense and widespread torrential rains beginning Sunday.
According to the Met Office, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal continue to penetrate the country. A low-pressure system originating from the Bay of Bengal is expected to move westward from August 17 and intensify the ongoing monsoon activity. Additionally, a westerly wave is present over the country, further strengthening the likelihood of heavy downpours.
The forecast warns of rain, wind, and thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy falls in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kohat and Peshawar. Torrential rains are also likely in Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan until August 19.
The warning comes as rain-related deaths in the country surpassed 300, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reporting the highest toll of 328 fatalities, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. Rescue efforts are underway in Buner, Bajaur and Battagram where infrastructure and communication roads have been badly damaged.
National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said that relief supplies and food are being delivered to affected districts and search operations are ongoing for missing persons. He stressed that evacuations from low-lying areas are critical and highlighted that the damages reflect the impact of climate change.
Dr Tayyab Shah, a technical expert with the NDMA, warned that another monsoon spell is expected after August 22. He noted that three additional rain systems are moving towards Pakistan, one from the Bay of Bengal and another from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Kandahar regions, putting northern areas and Punjab at heightened risk. NDMA General Manager Zahra Hassan expressed concern over Tarbela Dam reaching 98 percent of its capacity, warning of potential flooding if the water level rises further.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur visited flood-hit Buner where he was briefed that a cloudburst had destroyed 5,380 houses and caused at least 209 deaths. Rescue operations by army units and civil defence volunteers are ongoing, with food and shelter being provided to displaced families. A relief emergency has been declared in eight districts of the province.
Meanwhile, Islamabad and Rawalpindi received heavy rainfall on Sunday, leading to a sharp rise in the water level of Nullah Lai. Rescue 1122 has been placed on high alert with teams deployed in low-lying areas of the twin cities.
The PMD has also forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms with heavy falls in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, and several districts of Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Faisalabad till August 19. Southern Punjab districts including Multan, DG Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan are expected to receive rain from August 18 to 20.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel in vulnerable areas and heed official advisories as the risk of further floods and landslides remains high in the coming days.
