THE monsoon season is here. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a nationwide alert for widespread, heavy to very heavy rainfall from July 18 to July 25 as a dual weather system engulfs the country. Arabian Sea monsoon currents will meet a westerly disturbance over this period, and the adverse weather conditions this confluence creates will be a national challenge. It is hoped that the authorities are prepared. They have much to act on. With the weeklong warning handed down by the PMD, any failure to protect lives and infrastructure would be a failure of governance, not an ‘act of nature’. In the north, the PMD has warned of landslides and flash floods, which means mountainous communities risk being entirely cut off. In the urban centres of Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Sialkot, Multan and Faisalabad, expected heavy rainfall between July 20 and 23 threatens severe urban flooding. In other places, windstorms could jeopardise solar infrastructure, billboards and weak housing structures. The district administrations should deploy targeted, localised disaster mitigation strategies without waiting for provincial directives.

The PMD has also issued a specific alert for solar installations. With the massive boom in residential solar installations in Pakistan over recent years, this is a highly relevant warning, and the PMD must be commended for highlighting it. Citizens who have installed solar panels on their rooftops must now ensure that the panels are properly bolted down and secured and do not present a risk to themselves or others. In the absence of formal regulations around installations, each citizen is responsible for their own safety and also for the safety of those living around them — though that regulatory gap is itself something the authorities should move to close. The PMD warning should also prod the national and provincial disaster management authorities to start mobilising even in areas that will not be affected by the current spell. Monsoon after monsoon, preventable disasters have occurred due to the authorities’ inability to anticipate crises. Storm drains need to be cleaned, electrical grids must be secured, rescue machinery should be pre-positioned, and proper evacuation protocols put in place well before the first cloudburst. These measures must be undertaken all over the country in earnest. The time to act is now.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026