The Met Department has issued warnings of potential flooding in multiple regions of Pakistan due to heavy rains. Areas at risk include Azad Kashmir, northeast Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Koh-e-Sulaiman, and the adjacent hills of Balochistan. The department also cautioned about possible inundation in the low-lying areas of lower Sindh, south Punjab, Peshawar, and Karachi. Rain with strong winds and thunder is anticipated in Islamabad and its surrounding areas, while rainfall is also expected in regions such as Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mohmand, Kohat, and Dera Ismail Khan. Additional areas forecast for rain include Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, DG Khan, Bhakkar, Multan, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Zhob, Shirani, Musakhel, Barkhan, Kohlu, Loralai, Sibbi, Harnai, Ziarat, Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Dera Bugti, Jaffarabad, Kalat, Khuzdar, Turbat, Panjgur, Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, Larkana, Tharparkar, Umarkot, Sanghar, Mithi, Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro, and Dadu. Rain with strong winds and thundershowers is also expected in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Lahore, recent rains have caused severe humidity, with the city's forecast remaining cloudy.
The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) reported disruptions in its delivery system across different areas, leading to power outages lasting up to 48 hours in places like Sabzazar H Block. Heavy rainfall in Lower Dir has led to flooding in the Maidan river at Balambat in Timergara. Swabi has experienced intermittent rains, with water entering houses in Sharifabad and rescue teams working to extract water using pumps. In Kotha, the roof of a house collapsed due to the rain, burying two cattle under the debris, with rescue operations in progress. Chitral and Lower Dir have faced severe flooding in several areas due to heavy rain, including Reshun Valley and other streams of Upper Chitral. The floods have caused extensive damage to residential houses, gardens, and agricultural lands, and have disrupted vehicular traffic. Similar flooding has been reported in the rivers of Koghuzi, Shishi Koh, and Kalash Valley in Lower Chitral, inundating low-lying areas. Due to heavy rain in several places of upper and lower Chitral in the late night, flood situation. Standing crops, houses and gardens were severely damaged. In Muzaffarabad, Neelum and Jhelum valleys, persistent rain has created pleasant weather conditions but has also caused road closures, particularly on the highway connecting Muzaffarabad to Rawalpindi at Kohala.
The Met Department predicts continued rain for the next day. Heavy rains with thunder in Dadu, Attock and Mehr have also turned the weather pleasant. Heavy rains have led to flooding in rivers across the northeastern districts of Balochistan, with significant water flow reported in rivers such as Nari, Tali, Lehri, and Mishkaf. In Mansehra, severe flooding in the Mahandri drain on the Kaghan highway washed away a bridge, causing extensive damage to Mahandri Bazaar and suspending traffic. Many tourists are now stranded in Kaghan valley. In Harnai and its adjoining areas, heavy rains have persisted through the night, causing floods in rivers and canals and suspending traffic on the Harnai-Quetta highway. The high-level flood relay in the Zardalu river has also damaged nearby agricultural lands. Khyber district and its suburbs have experienced intermittent rain, resulting in a drop in temperature and the arrival of rainy trains in rivers and canals. The rains in Swat have caused flooding in the upper areas of Kalam. A temporary land passage has been washed away, suspending connections with the upper areas. Heavy machinery has reached to restore the passage.
Credit: Independent News Pakistan