LAHORE: Early morning rain on Friday in the city caused severe flooding, submerging major streets, roads, and low-lying areas.

Motorists and residents struggled to continue their routines amidst the deluge.

Due to the heavy rain, a portion of the new emergency ward at Mayo Hospital was affected by a leak in the ceiling, and rainwater entered the operation theatre.

The hospital administration was trying to drain the water from the affected area and restore the operation theatre to its functional state.

The heavy rain also caused a disruption of electricity in parts of Lahore as dozens of feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company tripped, plunging most parts of the city into darkness.

According to the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa), the maximum rainfall recorded was 95mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 90mm at Qartaba Chowk, 89mm at Paniwala Talab, 78mm at Gulshan-i-Ravi and Iqbal Town, 68mm at Mughalpura, 65mm at Gulberg, 64mm at Nishtar Town, 63mm at the airport, 62.5mm on Jail Road, 61mm at Nakhuda Chowk, 56mm at Samanabad and Farrukhabad, 45mm at Tajpura and 44mm at Johar Town.

The Meteorological Department has predicted further rain in the next 24 hours, which is expected to continue providing relief from the heat while necessitating ongoing efforts to manage water accumulation. Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) predicted the fifth spell of monsoon rains in Punjab would begin from July 28 to 31.

During July 29 to 31, most of the districts of south Punjab are likely to experience wind and thundershowers. Monsoon rains are expected in the Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, and Gujarat divisions.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said that an alert has been issued to the concerned administration about the weather situation. He said the departments should remain alert and the administrations of big cities should complete advance arrangements.

He also issued instructions to commissioners, deputy commissioners, Wasa, the Irrigation Department, Rescue, Civil Defence and other departments concerned to remain alert.

He said the situation was being monitored 24 hours in the PDMA control room and the water condition in rivers and dams is normal during monsoon rains in Punjab. He appealed to the public to ensure the implementation of government instructions and stay in safe places to protect themselves from poles and lightning.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024