PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday issued a warning about a sudden increase in temperatures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saying the mercury may rise seven to eight degrees during the next five days causing a heat wave.
It also said the temperature change could cause glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) in snow-bound areas of the province, especially Upper and Lower Chitral districts.
According to a PDMA advisory issued to the deputy commissioners of lower and upper Chitral districts, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has informed that the temperature in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may increase seven to eight degrees above normal over the ‘coming four to five days creating a heat wave type situation in glaciated regions’.
“It is more likely that this heat wave condition will enhance the melting rate of snow and ice, which may trigger Glof events and flash floods in the vulnerable areas of the province.”
Authority also issues glacial lake flooding alert for Chitral
The PDMA urged DCs of both districts to put the people living near waterways and vulnerable locations on high alert to prevent damage to public life.
“All relevant line agencies must also be put on alert for swift response in case of emergency,” it said.
In another advisory issued to all deputy commissioners of the province, the PDMA said there was a likelihood of heat wave conditions during the current week due to a persistent high pressure in the upper atmosphere, while the day temperatures were likely to remain unusually high in most parts of the province.
It said the extreme weather could cause water stress to the standing crops, vegetables and orchards.
The authority said the growers should manage crop water, while the people should avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight.
It also asked all deputy commissioners to alert health and medical services, paramedics and rescue department and instruct them to maintain the requisite facilities i.e. heat stroke centres and coordinate with municipal administration to prevent uprooting of billboards and hoardings by gusty winds.
An official at the Glof-II project toldDawnthat the rising temperatures were causing the rapid melting of glaciers in the country’s northern mountain ranges, including Hindu Kush Himalayas and Karakorum.
“Due to the changing weather patterns and increased temperatures in the region, over 3,000 glacial lakes have developed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Of them, 33 have been found to be prone to glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs),” he said.
The official said Glof was a sudden outburst event releasing millions of cubic metres of water and debris from glacial lakes and thus, causing the loss of public life, property and livelihoods.
He said an estimated 7.1 million people in KP and GB were vulnerable to Glofs.
The official said the scope of the Glof-II project was spread to 24 valleys of GB and KP, which was helping vulnerable communities to prepare for and mitigate GLOF risks through early warning systems, enhanced infrastructure and community-based disaster risk management.
He added that the Glof-II project was also helping build the capacity of government departments and create public awareness for such events.
When contacted, PMD deputy director in Peshawar Dr Mohammad Faheem said the global warming had caused an unusual phenomenon in weather pattern.
“Peshawar witnessed the unprecedented and unusual nighttime thundering in February,” he said.
Dr Faheem said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in its recent report, had declared that the global warming would cause the events related to unusual weather in different parts of the world.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2022
