RAWALPINDI: After the meteorological department predicted rain and flooding in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the district administration put all civic bodies and rescue services on a high alert from Wednesday to Friday.

The Met Office said strong monsoon currents were likely to penetrate into the country from Wednesday that will produce widespread rains during the next three to four days.

“Fairly widespread rain-thundershower is expected in Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Sahiwal), Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa (Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Kohat) and Kashmir form Wednesday to Friday,” it stated.

Heavy to very heavy falls are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Mardan, Peshawar, Nowshera and Kashmir. Scattered rain-thundershowers are expected in Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Waziristan, Bannu, DI Khan, Zhob, Musakhel and Barkhan.

The Met Office said heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in nullah/streams of Punjab, KP and Kashmir on Thursday/Friday.

Meanwhile, heavy rain lashed the twin cities on Tuesday morning bringing a pleasant change in the weather and providing relief to the citizens from the humid and warm weather. However, the rain did not raise the water level in Leh Nullah as less rain was witnessed in its catchment areas.

The Met Office recorded 45mm rain at Saidpur, 15mm at Zero Point, 30mm at Golra, 25mm at Bokra and 32mm at the airport in Islamabad and 13mm at Chaklala and 40mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.

When contacted, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said though 40mm rain was recorded in the city, Leh Nullah did not rise above six feet in Gawalmandi and seven feet in Kattarian.

He said Wasa and all other departments were on an alert to deal with any emergency. He said flood response teams would be active to drain out water from low-lying areas.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2020