LAHORE: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently sent mass warnings on text messages to the public to be alert to the possibility of flooding in the city from July 3 to 7.

The text messages failed to mention the exact areas where heavy rains and flooding may occur and there was some confusion with regard to this, especially since the NDMA overlooks the country as a whole.

The information was based on a notification by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) which says the monsoon rains are likely to strengthen in Sindh only from July 6, and that the Met office finds that monsoon currents may generate widespread rains, wind, thundershowers in areas including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umarkot, Jamsharo and Dadu from Sunday (night) to Tuesday.

NDMA text message to public did not mention areas

It also stated that heavy rainfalls may generate flooding in Karachi, Thatta, Badin and Hyderabad on Monday and Tuesday.

However, Mian Ajmal Shad, the Director Meteorological Office Lahore, said there was no flood forecast in Punjab at present.

“There is rainy weather expected, but no such heavy rainfall that can cause either urban flooding, and absolutely no chance of any riverine flood mainly because our dams are empty at the moment,” he told Dawn.

The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) has released information that the situation at all rivers and dams is completely normal as the outflow exceeds inflow.

Meanwhile, the Met Department has informed that the rainfall outlook shows that monsoon activity of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls and very heavy falls will be recorded at some places in Sindh and eastern Balochistan from July 6 to 9. Rainfall activity of moderate intensity will be seen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Punjab, Kashmir and northeast Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2020