By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan meteorological department warned on Monday that heavy monsoon rains are expected to lash several regions starting June 25, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides in low-lying and hilly areas.
Authorities urged residents to prepare as the forecast heightened fears of disaster in a country still scarred by past climate calamities.
The Met department predicted that moist air currents, already seeping into the country’s upper and central zones, will strengthen in the coming days. A westerly wave arriving Tuesday and intensifying by Wednesday is expected to worsen conditions, the agency said.
The Met Office forecast heavy rains across Punjab, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, from June 25 through July 1. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan will also see downpours, though timing and intensity will vary.
Particularly intense rain, “heavy to very heavy,” in the agency’s words, is likely from June 26 to July 1 in areas such as Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. These zones face heightened risks of flash floods in streams and low-lying areas. Landslides could snarl roads in hilly regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, officials cautioned.
Azad Kashmir will see scattered heavy rainfall from June 24 to July 2.
Gilgit-Baltistan, including Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, and Shigar, can expect rain, wind, and thunderstorms from June 26 to 29.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s northwestern districts, such as Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, and others, will experience rain with thundershowers from June 25 to July 1, with occasional gaps.
Balochistan’s northeastern and southern parts, including Sherani, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Barkhan, Naseerabad, Kalat, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Awaran, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, and Kohlu, are forecast to receive rain from the night of June 25 through June 28.
Sindh, including Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Kashmore, Hyderabad, Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta, Badin, and Karachi, will see rain with thundershowers from June 25 to 28, with occasional breaks.
Pakistan’s vulnerability looms large. Ranked among the world’s 10 most climate-threatened nations, it has endured a punishing string of weather extremes. The 2022 floods, which killed hundreds, displaced millions, and wrecked infrastructure, remain a grim benchmark. This week’s warnings carry added weight against that backdrop.
In Punjab, where rainfall could far exceed norms, officials are bolstering flood defenses and mobilizing emergency crews. The Met Office called on farmers to adapt their plans and urged travelers to tread carefully during the wet spell. “All concerned authorities are advised to remain ‘ALERT’ and take necessary measures,” the agency stressed.
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