Urban flooding alert amid possible extreme weather events

ISLAMABAD: The National Emergencies and Operation Centre (NEOC) has warned for heavy rains in the coming days as multiple weather systems are expected to converge over upper Pakistan and affect the region until August 3, which may cause urban flooding and flash floods.

According to the NEOC, weak monsoon currents are penetrating Pakistan, which will start intensifying on Thursday. Simultaneously, a westerly is also likely to approach the region.

Under these conditions, some parts of the country can receive heavy to very heavy rainfall which can trigger flash floods in hilly and mountainous areas besides generating urban flooding in places like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Silakot and Khushab.

At the same time, flash floods are predicted in streams and rivers of Gilgit-Baltistan and upper as well as southern and central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, heavy downpour can cause landslides in these areas, as Pakistan has been witnessing a rise in extreme weather events amid the climate change effects.

URBANISATION OF FARMLAND

Intense rains and cloudbursts in Pakistan are mostly caused by the convergence of monsoon currents and westerly waves — the collision of hotter and colder weather system.

At the same time, lack of town planning, resulting in poor infrastructure and unbridled urbanisation of farmland, has made the urban centres of Pakistan more vulnerable to natural disasters like extreme weather events. Hence, urban flooding is now a common feature in our lives.

The latest warning by NEOC of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) comes as heavy rain on Tuesday night caused flash floods in streams and nullahs of Hazara Division and surrounding areas.

As a result, the vehicle carrying 10 family members were swept away in a seasonal stream in the Jhari Kass area near Hassan Abdal town of Attock district. Locals and rescuers managed to save the lives of five of them, while the bodies of three women have been recovered, with the remaining two still missing.

On July 21, a cloud burst produced deadly flash floods in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. The majority of victims were tourists from the plain areas of Pakistan.

Read more: Five killed, 15 missing as flash floods hit Babusar-Thak Road