By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Severe weather, including strong winds, lightning, and hail, has killed at least eight people and injured 45 others across Punjab, provincial authorities said on Saturday.
The storms, which swept through the region, damaged homes, felled trees, and disrupted power supplies, prompting emergency responses and safety warnings from authroities.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had warned a day earlier of thunderstorms, gusty winds, dust storms, and rain expected in parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Islamabad.
As the day unfolded, dark clouds gathered overhead, unleashing heavy rain and hailstorms on the federal capital and parts of KP. In Swat, torrential rain and hail battered the region, causing local rivers and streams to surge.
In Punjab’s major cities—Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Jhelum, and Lahore—strong winds and poor visibility forced authorities to temporarily close sections of the motorway.
Motorway Police spokesperson Syed Imran Ahmed said the M2 Motorway from Thokar to Kot Momin, the M3 Motorway from Faizpur to Darkhana, and the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway were shut down “to ensure public safety and safe travel.”
He noted dark clouds looming over the M4 Motorway from Abdul Hakeem to Sher Shah and the M5 Motorway from Multan to Rahim Yar Khan, with severe thunderstorms reported along national highways from Lahore to Lodhran.
“Eight citizens lost their lives and 45 others were injured due to storm and rain-related incidents,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab said in a statement.
The fatalities occurred in Rawalpindi (1), Jhelum (3), Sheikhupura (1), Nankana Sahib (1), Sialkot (1), and Mianwali (1), though a separate PDMA report listed additional deaths in Lahore (3), Layyah (1), and Jhang (1), reflecting some discrepancies with local media reports of 13 deaths.
The PDMA attributed most deaths to collapsing dilapidated structures or being in unsafe locations during the storm.
In Sheikhupura, state media reported that a factory roof collapsed due to strong winds, killing a worker from Sadiqabad and injuring five others, who were pulled from the rubble by Rescue 1122 teams and taken to the district hospital.
Heavy downpours damaged mud and old brick houses across multiple areas, while in Lahore, fallen trees and broken solar panels littered the streets. “The deaths occurred due to the collapse of dilapidated houses and being in unsafe locations,” PDMA’s Hussain said, adding that “several mud and dilapidated houses were also damaged due to the storm.”
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia directed all deputy commissioners and rescue agencies to stay vigilant. “All district emergency operations centers have been activated, and the provincial control room is monitoring the situation round-the-clock,” he said.
“Citizens are advised to avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather and stay away from electric poles and hanging wires. People should remain indoors during lightning storms and ensure children stay away from weak or damaged buildings. Stay in safe places to avoid lightning. Never stay in open places during bad weather and lightning. Avoid unnecessary travel and drive slowly.”
Late Saturday, the National Weather Forecasting Center in Islamabad issued a fresh advisory, warning of potential damage to weak infrastructure—electricity poles, trees, vehicles, and solar panels—from expected thunderstorms, hail, and heavy rain overnight and into Sunday.
The PDMA had already flagged wind and dust storms, predicting rain across Punjab cities like Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, and Faisalabad, as well as southern areas like Multan and Bahawalpur.
The storms also knocked out power in South Punjab. The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) reported that rain tripped feeders in Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, and Sahiwal. A Mepco statement said power was restored to all 132kV grid stations by fixing transmission line faults, with efforts underway to normalize 11kV feeders. Chief Executive Officer Gul Muhammad Zahid ordered staff to remain on alert, adding, “Power restoration activities will start after the storm stops.”
Pakistan is no stranger to extreme weather, a trend experts tie to climate change. In 2022, unprecedented monsoon rains submerged much of the country, killing about 1,700 people and causing infrastructure losses exceeding $35 billion.
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