RAWALPINDI: Rain varying from light to drizzle in Rawalpindi and Islamabad brought a pleasant change to the weather with the Met Office forecasting more rain-windstorm/thunderstorm in the twin cities and nearby areas.

The rain brought down the maximum temperature from 29 to 21 degrees Celsius in the twin cities. The Meteorological Department recorded 6mm of rain at Islamabad International Airport, 4mm at Zero Point and 1mm at Saidpur, Golra and Bokra and 2mm at Chaklala, 1mm at Shamsabad and Kutchery in Rawalpindi.

As soon as the rain started, many areas in the garrison city reported power outages.

“Whenever there is rain we face electricity shutdown and Iesco fails to improve its supply system,” said Nawaz Malik, a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III. He said there were outages for three times in an hour and the residents lodged complaints but Iesco officials failed to address the issue.

Water also accumulated on roads contrary to claims by Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board that they had improved the drainage system.

The Met Office forecast more rain and cool winds sweeping northern parts of Pakistan in the next 24 hours. “A strong westerly wave is affecting most parts of the country. Moisture from Arabian Sea also penetrating into southern parts of the country,” a meteorological department official said.

He said more rain-wind/thunderstorm was likely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Punjab, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Sindh. Heavy fall/hailstorm is also likely at isolated places in upper KP, Kashmir, upper Balochistan and upper Punjab. Snowfall is expected on mountains in northern areas.

He said heavy rains may generate flash floods in nullas of Dera Ghazi Khan, Koh-i-Suleman, Khuzdar, Ziarat, Zhob, Sherani, Muslim Bagh, Quetta, Pishin, Kech, Panjgur, Gwadar and Turbat till Sunday. Flooding may also occur in low lying areas during the forecast period.

Heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in nullahs/streams of Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, tributaries of Kabul River, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir till Monday. Landslides in upper KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may affect vulnerable locations.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2024