RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain on Friday provided much-needed relief to residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as temperatures dropped after three days of hot and humid weather, but it also created a slushy mess in low-lying areas.
The rain started early Friday morning and continued until 9am, after which the sun came out as the heavy clouds cleared. However, the rain provided relief to people who had been suffering from hot and humid weather for the last three days. It brought down the mercury to 30 degrees Celsius.
The district administration, Civil Defence Department and Rescue 1122 remained on high alert throughout the day to deal with any emergency.
The Meteorological Department recorded 65 millimetres (mm) of rainfall at Saidpur, 62mm at the Airport, 19mm at Zero Point, 18mm each at Golra and Bokra, and 9mm at Islamabad, while Rawalpindi received 18mm at Shamsabad, 14mm at New Kattarian, 12mm at Pirwadhai, 10mm at Gawalmandi and 8mm at Chaklala. It forecast further rain in the twin cities during the next 24 hours.
A Met official said moderate moist currents from the Arabian Sea were penetrating the upper parts of the country. “A trough of westerly wave is also affecting north-western parts,” he said.
He said hot and humid weather was likely to prevail over most parts of the country. However, rain-wind/thundershowers were expected at isolated places in Kashmir, upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan. Heavy rainfall was also likely at isolated places in Kashmir, northeastern Punjab and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.
The Met Office warned that heavy rain on Saturday (today) might cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore during the forecast period.
It stated that landslides might occur in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Buner, Battagram, Mansehra, Haripur and Abbottabad, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir during the forecast period.
On the other hand, low-lying areas were left in a slushy mess. Residents woke up in the morning fearing flooding, but the rain stopped and the weather cleared by Friday prayers. Slush was seen in several areas.
Nisar Ali, a resident of Gawalmandi, said the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board had done nothing to clean nullahs and drains. He said the sanitation situation had gone from bad to worse in the cantonment.
“The Leh Nullah rose to 7.5 feet at Kattarian and five feet at Gawalmandi, but the situation remained under control due to dredging of the nullah before the monsoon,” WASA Managing Director Azizullah Khan told Dawn.
“Wasa officials remained alert to deal with any emergency. Heavy rain lashed some areas, but it did not raise the water level in Leh Nullah,” he said. “The Met Office has forecast more showers till August 15, and all staff and officials remained alert to handle any flood-like situation.”
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026
