Met Office forecasts heavy rains, floods and landslides

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned of heavy rains and the risk of urban flooding in several parts of the country starting Thursday morning.

As per the Met Office, heavy downpours are expected in Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Murree, Galiyat, and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). These areas could also experience flash floods due to overflowing of local streams and rivers.

Meanwhile, rain was forecast for Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Sialkot. There is a strong likelihood of urban flooding due to poor drainage infrastructure.

Authorities issued an advisory for the citizens, urging them to remain on high alert, especially in vulnerable regions. Travellers heading to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and AJK were advised to exercise caution, as the likelihood of landslides and mudslides blocking roads remains high.

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Weather alert for Islamabad

Residents in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi can expect partly cloudy skies. The weather in Islamabad is expected to remain humid, hovering around 92 per cent.

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Temperatures are expected to dance between 31 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius today.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa weather

Heavy showers are forecast across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from Dir to Waziristan.

Some upper districts are expected to receive heavier bursts of rainfall.

Meanwhile, the Hazara Division will remain unusually humid, with Abbottabad recording humidity levels as high as 83 per cent. Despite the humidity, temperatures are expected to stay relatively mild, hovering around 30 degrees Celcius.

Weather in Punjab

Residents in Punjab should brace for predominantly hot and humid conditions, while intermittent rains might provide relief around evening.

Key districts – Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan and DG Khan – will see scattered showers.

Meanwhile, cities such as Faisalabad and Sargodha will bake with at nearly 40 degrees Celsius.

Sindh

Sindh traded dry weather for humid but the relief for residents around coastal areas won’t last. Keep an umbrella hand along the coast as Karachi and surrounding regions might experience a light rain.

Expect daytime temperatures to hover between a comfortable 32 degrees Celsius to a toasty 43 degrees Celsius further inland.

Balochistan weather

Baluchistan residents should prepare for a scorcher, especially in places like Nokkundi where it’s pushing 45 degrees Celsius!

Pockets of rains and winds might offer some respite for people in Zhob and Khuzdar around evening or night-time.

Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir

The upper regions get a mixed bag today – partly cloudy with sporadic rain showers, temperatures mostly in the mild to warm bracket, around 27 degrees Celsius to 33 degrees Celsius.

Cloud cover with bout of rains and thunder will keep the region cool and damp. Cities including Baramullah, shopian and Anantnag will see temperatures lingering between 27 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius; making for a fresh and moist atmosphere.

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Flooding, landslide watch

Authorities warned of urban flooding in several low-lying cities, including Lahore and Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, mountainous roads in the north and northeast face potential blockages from the mudslides and landslides.