DMA issues alert for rain, flash floods in different parts of country

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday issued an emergency weather alert for the next 12 to 24 hours, warning of heavy rains, hailstorms, and severe flash flooding across northern and central parts of the country.

The NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) said that a powerful weather system is expected to trigger widespread thunderstorms, lightning, and isolated hailstorms across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The NDMA warned that high winds and hail could cause significant damage to weak infrastructure, solar installations, and standing crops.

In the mountainous north, the combination of heavy rainfall and rising temperatures has heightened the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), sudden landslides, and rapid surges in local rivers and streams, it said.

KEY HIGHWAYS AT RISK

The NDMA explicitly warned that critical transport infrastructure could face prolonged closures due to severe landsliding.

The high-risk areas include the Karakoram Highway (KKH), Naran Road, Shigar Valley Road, Deosai Road, and the Jaglot-Skardu Road.

The NDMA has classified linking roads between several tourist and transit hubs as highly vulnerable, including Shimshal Valley, Attabad Lake, Karimabad, Gulmit, Shishkat Bala, and Passu.

Landslide warnings have also been issued for Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Chilas, Astore, Shigar, Chitral, Kalam, Upper Kohistan, and hilly pockets of Azad Kashmir, threatening to strand commuters and disrupt tourism in Kalam, Kandol, Arang Kel, Dasu, and Pattan.

REGIONAL FORECAST

According to the NDMA, the new weather system could also affect regions including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujar Khan and Sialkot.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the alert has been issued for Chitral, Dir, Swat, Swabi, Kalam, Mingora, Malakand, Batagram, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Charsadda, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan.

In Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, the alert has been issued for Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Diamer, Ghanche, Astore, Shigar, Kharmang, Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Kotli, Poonch, and Bhimber.

The NDMA has directed all provincial and district disaster management authorities, emergency services, and highway clearing crews to remain on high alert and pre-position heavy machinery at chronic landslide choke points.

Tourists and travelers have been strictly advised to verify weather and road conditions before embarking on journeys into northern regions, and the public has been urged to monitor live updates through the state’s official digital alert applications.