Met Office issues flash flood warning for Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and northern Punjab

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a weather warning late on Friday predicting flash floods in local streams and rivers across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and northern Punjab.

The PMD urged to exercise extreme caution and take necessary precautions as the looming threat of flash floods, road closures, landslides, and electricity outages is expected.

In a statement the PMD predicted risk of flash floods through Balochistan, specifically in Mastung, Kalat, Lasbella, Barkhan, Sibbi, Kohu, Awaran, and Khuzdar. Similarly, risk of flooding is high throughout the KP while in Punjab, areas such as Dera Ghazi Khan and the picturesque hill station of Murree face flooding.

Read more: Intense rainfall disrupts traffic in Karachi; emergency declared across Sindh

Road closures

Roads throughout northern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are at risk of blockages due to heavy rain and snowfall, stretching from Haveli, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Galiyat, Naran and Kaghan to Dir, Swat, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, and even Skardu in upper KP.

Landslides

Landslides pose a significant danger, particularly in mountainous regions such as Murree and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

Electricity outage

The PMD warned of potential electricity outages as strong winds, thunderstorms, and hailstorms may damage electrical infrastructure across the country.

Open electric cables and solar panels are particularly vulnerable, with the increased risk of widespread disruption to power supplies.

Weather update for Saturday

The weather update issued by the Met Office for Saturday paints a grim picture, forecasting continued rains, thunderstorms, and heavy snowfall across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, northern Punjab, and Balochistan.

Similarly, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are bracing for heavy rains and snow.

Authorities are advising citizens to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay tuned to weather updates from reliable sources.

Emergency services are on high alert, ready to respond to any emergencies arising from the adverse weather conditions.