Urban flooding expected as monsoon to hit Pakistan from 25th

ISLAMABAD: With extremely hot and humid conditions gripping the country for the past few days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of flash flooding in hilly areas and urban flooding urban centres from June 25 to July 2 thanks strong monsoon currents from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

The Met office issued the forecast as monsoon has now covered upper parts of Pakistan, including Kashmir, upper Punjab and most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After a delay witnessed regularly during the past decade or so, monsoon advanced rapidly and early this season, as it has reached the upper parts of Pakistan, which are normally covered by these moist winds by July 8.   

WHAT IS COMING

The Met Office says heavy to very heavy rains may generate flash flood in nullahs/streams of Murree, Galliyat, Manshera, Kohistan, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, DG Khan, northeast Punjab, and Kashmir from June 26 to July 1.

Similarly, the low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar can experience urban flooding from June 26 to July 1 and in Hyderabad and Karachi during June 26 to 28.

The flash flood and flash flooding threat is due to the monsoon rains that will start affecting Kashmir on June 24 until July 2 and Gilgit-Baltistan from June 26 to 29.

Meanwhile, the wet spell will bring rains to Islamabad and most of Punjab – upper and central regions – from June 25 to July 1, while the wet spell is going to affect southern parts of the province from June 26 to 28.

On the other hand, monsoon rains are expected in upper and southeast Sindh from June 26 to 28, and from June 25 to 28 in northeastern and southern Balochistan.

FROM HEATWAVES TO EXTREME HUMIDITY     

People are desperate for a change in weather as heatwaves made their lives miserable, only to replaced by hot and humid conditions.

The last week saw some pre-monsoon rains hit upper parts of Pakistan, but these only contributed to the present extremely humid conditions because of being patchy.