ISLAMABAD: A fresh monsoon system sweeping across Pakistan has unleashed heavy rainfall and severe weather conditions across multiple provinces, prompting widespread disruption and urgent warnings from national authorities.
The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi bore the brunt of the initial onslaught, where intense downpours accompanied by thundershowers submerged low-lying neighborhoods and overwhelmed urban drainage systems. Simultaneously, the skies opened over numerous cities across Punjab, with Lahore among those recording significant precipitation.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued extensive forecasts indicating that the current spell of monsoon activity will persist across vast swathes of the country. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, residents of Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Nowshera, Bajaur, Hangu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan have been advised to prepare for continued rainfall.
The advisory extends across Punjab as well, with predictions covering Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Lahore, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Khushab, Sargodha, Multan, Jhang, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Layyah and Dera Ghazi Khan.
Flash Floods in Diamer:
The situation has already turned catastrophic in the mountainous terrain of Diamer, where the Daril Valley witnessed devastating flash floods triggered by torrential rains. The deluge carved a path of destruction through multiple villages, obliterating standing crops, uprooting fruit orchards, demolishing water channels and sweeping away communication bridges.
Traditional windmills and expansive tracts of agricultural land were also consumed by the raging waters. The destruction of critical infrastructure has severely hampered transportation networks throughout the region, while the collapse of irrigation systems has compounded the misery of local communities. Agricultural operations in the affected zone have ground to a halt, and residents are struggling to secure basic daily necessities amid the chaos.
Contrasting sharply with the deluge in the north and central regions, Sindh province continues to endure oppressive heat and humidity. The Meteorological Department anticipates that most districts will experience persistently hot and humid conditions, with Karachi expected to register maximum temperatures around thirty-five degrees Celsius alongside relative humidity levels reaching approximately seventy-four percent.
Balochistan presents a similarly mixed picture, with scorching temperatures prevailing across most districts even as thundershowers are forecast for Zhob, Musakhel, Sherani, Kohlu and Barkhan.
In response to the escalating crisis, the National Disaster Management Authority has sounded alarms regarding the heightened risk of landslides in northern areas.
The authority specifically cautioned that the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir face imminent danger of flooding as saturated slopes give way under the sustained rainfall. The warnings underscore the precarious situation facing communities in these vulnerable high-altitude zones as the monsoon system continues its destructive progression across the country.
