RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday evening as Met Office predicted that rain would continue next two days.

Earlier, temperature touched 30 degree Celsius but in the afternoon black clouds appeared over horizon and rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed the twin cities in the evening bringing down the the temperature to 25 degree Celsius.

The Met Office recorded three millimeterrainat Chaklala, two millimeter at Kutchery and three millimeter at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi while two millimeter at Zero point, two millimeter at Bokra, three millimeter at Saidpur and six millimeter at Golra in Islamabad.

According to Met Office, a strong westerly wave is affecting most parts of the country and gripped upper parts on Thursday.

Rain-windstorm/thunderstorm (with few heavyfall/hailstorms) is expected in most places of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Punjab, Islamabad and north Baluchistan. Snow fall is also likely on mountains in northern areas, it stated.

It warned heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in local nullahs/streams of Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Manshera, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and Tributaries of Kabul River on Friday (today) .

Possibility of landslides in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan may affect the vulnerable locations during the period.

Windstorm/hailstorm and lightning may damage standing crops, loose structures like electric poles, vehicles and solar panels etc during the period.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024