LAHORE: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued on Friday another severe weather warning, forecasting torrential rain across the country, especially in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan (upper parts), from Sunday to Thursday. It may generate urban and river flooding.

“The severe weather system is likely to persist in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. It has the potential of producing glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), particularly in Bagrot, Bindogol and Golain valleys,” the PMD said, advising the authorities and local communities to take precautionary measures.

Know more: Met office issues high alert amid heavy rain forecast for Sindh

The warning was issued in view of the likely arrival of a fresh westerly wave on Sunday and its interaction with strong monsoon currents which may penetrate upper parts of the country from Sunday to Tuesday and the southern region from Monday to Thursday.

The currents are continuously penetrating Punjab and Kashmir and generating rain in league with westerly waves reaching Pakistan from Afghanistan in quick succession over the past 10 days.

It continued to rain in different areas on Friday, generating a sharp peak upstream Mangla in River Jhelum. The peak of 148,000 cusecs was short-lived. Another peak of 170,000 cusecs (high flood) is likely at the same place on Saturday morning in view of the expected rain over the catchments of Jhelum.

A peak of 447,000 cusecs (high flood) in the Indus has reached Guddu and may increase to 550,000 cusecs in about 24 hours.

According to the Federal Flood Commission, the flood wave in the Indus may affect low-lying areas of Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts in Sindh in 24 to 72 hours.

Torrential rain across country from Sunday to Thursday forecast

It said the low-lying areas of districts Layyah, Muzaf­far­garh (tehsil Kot Addu), Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan along the Indus had been affected by the flood and rescue and relief operations were continuing in the areas.

According to the PMD, widespread rains, at times very heavy, are likely from Sunday to Tuesday in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Malakand, Hazara, Mardan and Peshawar divisions), upper Fata (Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies), upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions), Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

It forecast widespread rains with scattered heavy falls, at times very heavy, in Sindh (Sukkur, Larkana, Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions), southern Punjab (Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions), eastern Balochistan (Zhob, Sibbi and Nasirabad divisions) and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Dera Ismail Khan division) from Monday to Thursday.

Heavy rains may generate flash flooding and urban flooding in vulnerable areas.

The PMD said that during the past 24 hours Gujranwala received 81mm of rain, Murree 53mm, Karachi (Landhi 49mm, Faisal Base 33mm, Saddar 30mm, Jinnah Terminal 24mm, Gulshan-i-Hadeed 15mm, North Karachi 12mm and Masroor Base and Nazimabad 11mm each), Rawalakot 42mm, Kakul 34mm, Sanghar 23mm, Padidan 22mm, Kasur 21mm, Lahore (city 14mm and airport 2mm), Bhakkar 10mm, Bahawalpur 7mm, Larkana and Joharabad 6mm each, Risalpur, Muzaffarabad and Kotli 5mm each, Moenjodaro 4mm and Badin and Toba Tek Singh 3mm.

The PMD forecast more rain across the country on Saturday.

Meanwhile, army troops rescued 71 people stranded in Jhakr Imam area of D.G. Khan district on Friday.

According to a press release, the troops in collaboration with the civil administration have evacuated 13,893 people in Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad, Khanpur and Liaqatpur over the past two days.

The troops, along with boats, out boat motions (OBMs) and life jackets, have been deployed in areas of Rajanpur, D.G. Khan, Muzaffargarh and Layyah which may be hit by flood. Two medical camps have been set up in Rajanpur and Layyah.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2015

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