LAHORE: Many cities in the country received rain, some in the upper parts heavy, as the fresh monsoon system from India got closer to Pakistan on Saturday.

According to the Met department, the system that is to affect mainly lower parts of the country, began to give rain in Sindh including Karachi before it came closer to Pakistan border. It was expected to enter the country and give rains, heavy to very heavy, in Sindh from Saturday night to Monday.

Rain was nevertheless heavy to very heavy in some Khyber Pakhtunkha and Azad Kashmir cities because of the persistent westerly wave.

Malamjabba recorded 141mm of rain, Takht Bhai (59), Saidu Sharif (53), Balakot (42), Kakul (32), Dir (Upper 22, Lower 17), Pattan (20), D.I. Khan (12), Bannu (6), Peshawar and Cherat (5), Garidupatta (48), Muzaffarabad (AP 38, City 16) and Rawalakot 27.

Islamabad received 37mm of rain, Layyah (42), Jhang, D.G. Khan (28), Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 19, Chaklala 1), Gujrat (14), Khanpur (13), Attock (12), Rahim Yar Khan (11), Mandi Bahauddin (10), Sialkot (7), Multan (4) and Joharabad (2).

According to the Flood Forecasting Division, Friday’s monsoon depression over central Madhya Pradesh moved westwards and weakened into well marked low. It lay over north Gujarat and adjoining Rajasthan on Saturday. It is likely to move further westwards (Pakistan).The river Indus at Guddu was in medium flood while at Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa and Sukkur in low flood level. The river Kabul at Nowshera was also in low flood.

The Met department expected widespread rains/wind-thunderstorm in Mirpurkhas, Thatta, Hyderabad, Karachi, Shaheed Benazirabad divisions. Scattered rain was also expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sukkur, Larkana, Makran, Quetta, Zhob, Kalat, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, D.G. Khan divisions, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Isolated heavy falls were also expected in Lower Sindh (Mirpurkhas, Thatta, Hyderabad, Karachi, Shaheed Benazirabad divisions), Kalat, Zhob, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad divisions, Islamabad and Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2019