PMD warns monsoon rains may hit routine life from July 25 to 30

ISLAMABAD/QUETTA/SUKKUR: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said that monsoon rains would continue this week with occasional gaps and indicated chances of heavy rains in Balochistan, upper Sindh, Punjab and other parts of the country from July 25 to 30. While 17 people were killed and several injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of country in last 24 hours.

According to PMD, the monsoon currents were continuously penetrating in the country from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. A fresh westerly wave was also likely to enter upper parts of the country from July 26. Rain/wind-thundershower with few heavy falls is expected in Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, Kharan, Noushki, Washuk, Mastung, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Zhob, Sherani, Barkhan, Musakhel, Kohlu, Jhal Magsi, Loralai, Ziarat, Quetta, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah on July 25th and July 28 with occasional gaps.

Rain/wind-thundershower with few heavy falls is also expected in Dera Ghazi khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta and Karachi during the period.

Rain/wind-thundershower with isolated heavy falls is also expected in Kashmir, (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur), Gilgit Baltistan (Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar), Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kasur, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khusab, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Okara, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Karak and Waziristan from July 25-30 with occasional gaps.

About the impacts, the PMD has warned that heavy rains may generate flash flooding in Balochistan and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan on July 25 and July 26.

The flash flooding can occur in Kashmir, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Manshera, Abbottabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad during July 26-28. Heavy rains may generate urban flooding in low lying areas of Sukkur, Larkana, Qamber Shehdad Kot, Noushero Feroze and Dadu on July 25/26.

Heavy rains may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad from July 25-28 and may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the wet period. The PMD has advised the farmers to manage their activities keeping in view the weather forecast and tourists and travelers to remain extra cautious to avoid any untoward situation during the wet spell.

Wind-thunderstorm may damage loose structures like electric poles, solar panels etc. The general public is advised to stay at safe places during wind-storm/heavy rains.

All concerned authorities are advised to remain alert and take necessary precautionary measure during the forecast period.

Meanwhile, monsoon rains lashed southern parts of the country during the past 24 hours killing 12 people and injuring 15 others as flash flooding disconnected many towns and settlements from the rest of the country. While, five people were killed in heavy rains in Sukkur.

Rainwater and deluge in local streams and smaller rivers submerged a vast area damaging houses businesses and infrastructure amid heavy downpour in Sindh and Balochistan. The desert region of Cholistan and other parts of southern Punjab also received torrential rains.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) six deaths and injuries to 13 others have so far been reported in Balochistan. On the other hand three family members, a mother and two of her children were killed and two persons injured after a landslide hit a road in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The deluge entered Basima, a town in Washuk district of Balochistan which borders Iran and the nearby area of Patak washing away several houses shops and restaurants while damaging standing crops.

A similar situation was being witnessed in Awaran a small city and district headquarter in southern Balochistan southeast of Washuk where a dyke protecting the town from a local stream was in threat of being breached amid severe flooding.

On the other hand the Kirthar Mountains in eastern Sindh which runs in south-north direction along the Sindh-Balochistan border in Jamshoro and Dadu districts too received downpour triggering flash flood as rainwater threatened the villages in the low-lying areas east of the mountain range.

In a tragic incident three people were swept away after flash flood hit the Kachho area which is spread over two districts of Dadu and Qambar Shahdadkot. The locals managed to recover the bodies after hectic efforts.

Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Khairpur, Sukkur and other parts of Sindh too were hit by downpour where rainwater accumulated in many localities because of being a plain region. Both Sindh and Balochistan had received record-breaking rains during the last monsoon season and caused unprecedented floods.

The most worrying factor was and still remains that the drainage system in Sindh failed to cope with the amount of water again showing the poor planning and execution of the Left Bank Outfall Drain a system built with the Word Bank assistance. However, even more alarming threat for Pakistan is any shift in rains pattern during the monsoon season due to climate change more accurately described by the term global warming as being witnessed during the recent years.

The extreme weather events are becoming a routine a huge amount of rain falling in a short span of time. It happened on a large scale in Sindh and Balochistan last year. And this year Lahore has so far witnessed three such days where more than 200mm of rain was recorded in less in six hours.

The official data shows that the heaviest rain during the last 24 hours till 8am in Sindh was recorded at Padidan 120mm, Dadu 75mm Mirpur Khas 72mm and Sakrand 53mm. Figures for some other cities are given as Punjab Murree 45mm and Khanpur 42mm, Kashmir Muzaffarabad Airport 31mm, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Balakot 16mm and Kakul 14mm. Balochistan Sibbi 15mm and Lasbela 13mm.

Meanwhile, heavy rain with storm here in Sukkur, Khairpur and other parts of Sindh left five people dead including three sisters.

Reports said that heavy rain with storm on the other day of Monday had caused urban flooding. Almost the streets of the cities including Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Larkana and others giving look of flood. Due to heavy rains outage of power also doubled the miseries of the citizens who deprived of drinking water.

In the incidents of the wall and roof collapsed five people including three girls in Shikarpur died in the collapse of the roof of the house. Municipal and district administration as usual having lack of capacity failed to drain out the water.

The rains destroyed 60 percent dates’ crops and inflicts millions of rupees loss to the growers. Respectively the breaches also in the canals also inundated the cotton and other crops.