LAHORE: The monsoon low over Indian Rajasthan generated heavy rain in Lahore and several other cities in Punjab on Thursday, claiming three lives, causing urban flooding and disrupting power supply in many areas.

In Lahore two girls, Mina, 9, and Noor Fatima, 2, were killed in two incidents as rain, heavy at times, continued to lash the city throughout the day, submerging many streets and roads to the utter inconvenience of people. Noor Fatima’s parents were also injured when the roof of their Manawan house collapsed during the rain.

A teenager, Umair Saeed, 18, was electrocuted in Sheikhupura when his motorcycle reportedly touched an electricity pole.

Three die in related incidents

Flood Forecasting Division’s Director Ajmal Shad said the monsoon low had moved over to northwest Rajasthan, closer to Pakistan, and was likely to produce more rain, heavy over Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining Sindh cities in the next 24 hours.

There will be no or less rain in Lahore on Friday. But the city was likely to experience another spell of heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday.

On Thursday, rain was particularly heavy in Lahore than anywhere else. The local Met office recorded 85mm of rain in Jauhar Town-Township, 82mm at its Jail Road observatory and 77mm at the airport.

For people, the intermittent rain with dark scudding clouds and soothing wind also brought relief from mugginess. It washed plants and trees making them look greener.

But it also inundated almost every street in the city, making travel quite troublesome. Broken down vehicles was a common scene on the roads as was people wading through rainwater. Attendance in schools and offices was thin and there were delays due to traffic jams. Traveling along the long dug-up route of the Orange train was risky and troublesome.

Rain also disrupted flight schedule at the airport to some extent.

Meanwhile, the Met Office said Jhang also received 31mm of rain, Islamabad (Zero Point 72mm, Saidpur 20mm), Gujranwala 24mm, Sargodha (city) 18mm, Sialkot (city 10mm, airport 5mm), Murree 5mm, Bahawalnagar 4mm, Sahiwal 3mm, Mandi Bahauddin and Multan 1mm each, Garidupatta 22mm, Rawalakot 4mm, Muzaffarabad 1mm, Chachro 9mm, Diplo 3mm, Nagerparker 2mm and Balakot 4mm.

The Federal Flood Forecasting Division said scattered thunderstorm-rain with isolated heavy falls was expected over the upper catchments of all major rivers along with Punjab, northeast Balochistan and Peshawar, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan divisions in the next 24 hours. There was a chance of increase in hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan division on Aug 27 and 28.

The Met office expected rain/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls at a number of places in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Sindh and northeast Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2016