THE deaths caused by the latest spell of monsoon rains in KP and Punjab illustrate how quickly severe weather can become a public safety crisis. At least 10 people lost their lives over three days. While the circumstances varied, together they raise important questions about the country’s readiness for increasingly volatile weather. None of the victims died because a major river burst its banks. They died because ordinary infrastructure failed under extraordinary weather. Roofs gave way, electrical hazards emerged and floodwaters turned deadly. That distinction matters. Reducing future losses depends not only on forecasting storms but also on addressing the vulnerabilities that make them so dangerous. The warning signs have been visible for months. Unseasonal storms in Karachi in March caused flooding, power outages and structural collapses. Another spell of heavy rain in April inundated roads and disrupted traffic across parts of the city. Similar scenes have unfolded in Lahore, Rawalpindi and other urban centres where drainage systems struggle to cope with intense downpours. All of this happened before the monsoon had properly begun.

The recent fatalities also challenge a common assumption about monsoon risk. The Met Office’s seasonal outlook points to below-normal rainfall across much of the country. But lower rainfall does not necessarily translate into less danger. A season can end with below-average rainfall and still contain a handful of intense weather events capable of overwhelming drains, disrupting power networks and endangering lives. What matters is not the monsoon’s final tally but whether infrastructure can cope when the skies open for a few hours. Policymakers should therefore focus on the capacity of cities to withstand extreme rainfall whenever it occurs. Municipal authorities already know which roads flood repeatedly and which drains require regular cleaning. Utility providers can identify electrical installations that become hazardous during storms. Local administrations are aware of settlements where weak housing leaves residents vulnerable to roof and wall collapses. These are all recurring risks. The latest rains in KP and Punjab will eventually recede, just as the storms that struck Karachi earlier this year did. But the conditions that turned these weather events into tragedies will remain unless they are addressed. Safer housing, better drainage, protected electrical infrastructure and stricter enforcement of building standards can reduce the human and economic toll when the next downpour arrives.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2026