NDMA issues nationwide flood emergency as glaciers and monsoon storms converge in 24-hour threat

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national disaster authority has placed the entire country on emergency alert, warning that a convergent weather system will bring thunderstorms, flash flooding, destructive high winds and — in the country’s glaciated north — the sudden, potentially catastrophic release of glacial lakes, all within the next 12 to 24 hours.

The alert, issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) through its National Emergencies Operation Centre, is one of the most geographically sweeping of the season, covering dozens of cities and districts across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Nowhere is the threat more acute than in Pakistan’s high-altitude north. The NDMA has issued a separate, specific warning about Glacial Lake Outburst Floods — known in disaster management circles as GLOFs — a phenomenon in which bodies of meltwater trapped behind glacial ice or unstable debris dams rupture without warning, sending walls of water, rock and debris cascading into the valleys below. The authority warned that such events could set off sudden flooding, landslides and debris flows across vulnerable communities in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.

The NDMA said the incoming weather pattern is consistent with forecasts made three to four months ago as part of the country’s seasonal outlook — an indication that advance planning has been possible and that emergency protocols have already been put in place. The authority said it had been continuously providing advance warnings and risk assessments to relevant federal, provincial and district authorities to ensure timely preparedness.

In Punjab, where poorly drained cities have a well-documented history of severe urban inundation during concentrated rainfall, the warning covers an extensive swathe of territory: Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Gujar Khan, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Khushab, Jhang, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan are all named. Islamabad, the federal capital, is included in the alert as well.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where rivers running through steep, narrow valleys can rise with alarming speed, the forecast covers Chitral, Dir, Swat, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Peshawar, Kohat, Parachinar, Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan. The province’s river systems, draining the western Himalayas and the Hindu Kush, are particularly susceptible to rapid swelling when rainfall coincides with warm temperatures that accelerate glacial and snowmelt at altitude.

Across Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir — the regions most directly exposed to the GLOF risk — thunderstorms and significant rainfall are expected in Gilgit, Skardu, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Hunza, Ghanche and Shigar, and in Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Kotli, Poonch, Hattian, Mirpur and Bhimber.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and most sparsely populated province, faces thunderstorms and rain in Turbat, Kech, Awaran, Khuzdar and Zhob. Sindh presents a somewhat different risk profile: the province, including Karachi, is under warning for strong winds, dust storms and localised rainfall at isolated locations, with Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Dadu, Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Shaheed Benazirabad named alongside the country’s largest city.

District administrations and monitoring agencies have been directed to maintain continuous surveillance of high-risk areas and to remain on high alert. Rescue and emergency response teams across the country have been instructed to ensure full operational readiness ahead of any deterioration in conditions.

A specific advisory has been issued to tourists and travellers — a significant constituency given that the summer months draw large numbers of visitors to Pakistan’s northern regions. The NDMA warned against non-essential travel during periods of intense rainfall, urging those intending to visit the north to check weather forecasts and road conditions before departure. Road closures caused by flooding, landslides and debris flows are described as a real possibility.

All provincial and district authorities have been directed to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures to limit the impact of the incoming weather system. Citizens have been asked to use the NDMA’s Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and to contact local administration or rescue services immediately if they find themselves in danger.