RAWALPINDI: Rain varying from light to moderate lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday, dropping temperatures but creating a slushy mess in low-lying areas.
The rain started on Sunday evening and continued intermittently, turning the weather pleasant. People woke up to a sunny morning, but by afternoon clouds gathered and showers began in the evening.
The Meteorological Department recorded 28 mm of rainfall at Saidpur, 3 mm at Zero Point, 2 mm at Bokra, and 1 mm at Golra in Islamabad, while Rawalpindi received 15 mm at Shamsabad, 7 mm at Gawalmandi and New Kattarian, 6 mm at Katcheri and 3 mm at Pirwadhai.
Following the rain, temperatures in the twin cities dropped from 36°C to 24°C in Islamabad and 25°C in Rawalpindi.
According to a Met Office official, a westerly wave is present over the upper and central parts of the country, while moist currents from the Arabian Sea are penetrating central and southern regions. A seasonal low lies over western Balochistan and adjoining areas.
Hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country. However, rain-windstorms and thunderstorms are likely at isolated places in upper and lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper and central Punjab.
The Met Office said the present rain-bearing system is likely to continue bringing showers on Monday afternoon and evening, while dry weather is expected in the morning.
On Sunday, the water level in Leh Nullah was recorded at 6.3 feet at Kattarian Bridge and 4 feet at Gawalmandi.
It was another rainy day for Rawalpindi residents, who were caught off guard as rainwater created a slushy mess in the garrison city, where roads are mostly dug up for laying sewerage and water supply lines.
Residents feared that the slow pace of work by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) on several roads would create problems in the coming monsoon season, likely to begin from July 1.
They said even brief showers exposed the shortcomings of the local administration and its preparedness to deal with flood-like situations in the city.
Goods Transport Association President Shaqeel Qureshi said work in the Gunjmandi area to lay sewerage lines was slow, and urged Wasa and the local administration to speed it up, as transporting goods from the commercial hub of Raja Bazaar to other parts of the country had become
difficult.
“The work has entered a slow phase, and traders and transporters are facing problems in moving goods. Visitors to main markets have also decreased due to traffic congestion and lack of parking space,” he said.
On the other hand, Wasa officials said the work would be completed by June 30, and contractors had been instructed to expedite progress.
Farooq Ahmed, a shopkeeper on Saidpur Road, said shoppers and motorists were facing severe difficulties due to ongoing road digging over the past several months, making it especially risky for children and women to venture out.
Other shopkeepers said no one was paying attention to their complaints, adding that there appeared to be no effective monitoring system in place, while trader associations were also turning a blind eye.
A senior district administration official said the authorities had instructed Wasa and other relevant departments to remain alert in view of the possibility of further heavy rains.
He said the administration was prepared to handle emergencies during the monsoon season and had set a deadline of June 30 for completing development schemes.
He added that four flood response units had been established in the city, with staff deployed round the clock in three shifts.
Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2026