KARACHI: The people living in the country’s financial hub have been experiencing a rather pleasing overcast conditions for some days, and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday said that there was a chance of light drizzle in the morning and night at some places in the metropolis.
With a 10-kilometre per hour sea breeze coupled with 82% humidity levels, the mercury is likely to go up to a maximum of 33 to 35 degrees Celsius and the weather is likely to remain partly cloudy. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 28°C.
The forecast comes as the metropolis has witnessed intermittent light showers occasionally in recent days, with the Met Office urging residents to stay informed through weather updates and take necessary precautions, particularly in flood-prone and densely populated urban areas.
The current monsoon season has brought heavy rains across the country, resulting in flash floods and other incidents, causing as many as 72 fatalities and injuring 130 others.
The statistics showed the increasing number of fatalities from June 26 to July 6, with the highest number of deaths recorded in KP.
KP recorded 28 deaths, followed by 22 in Punjab, 15 in Sindh, seven in Balochistan, and four in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).
At least 161 houses were damaged and 91 livestock were swept away in the monsoon spells. During this period, the emergency response agency conducted 19 rescue operations and rescued 233 persons, besides distributing essential items to the affected nationals.
As monsoon activity is expected to intensify across the country, the NDMA’s National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) issued an alert regarding potential floods till July 10.
The alert highlighted potential river and stream overflows across multiple regions, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan. In particular, low-level flooding is expected at Marala and Qadirabad points on the Chenab River.
Major rivers, including Indus, Chenab, Swat, Panjkora, Chitral, Hunza, and various local waterways, may witness rising water levels, the NDMA stated, adding that flash floods are also feared in northeastern Punjab, especially in streams originating from the Pir Panjal mountain range.
Apart from the NDMA’s warning is to be taken against the PMD’s forecast of widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers expected across several regions of the country from the night of July 6 to July 8.
The wet spell is likely to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall at various locations, with potential risks of flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides, particularly in the northern and hilly areas.
Thundershowers are likely in KP, Punjab, northeastern and southern Balochistan, southeastern Sindh, Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Isolated heavy downpours are expected in Upper Punjab, the Potohar region, Islamabad, KP, AJK, and northern Balochistan.
The Met Office has warned that heavy to very heavy rains may generate flash flooding in local streams and nullahs of Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, hill torrents of D.G. Khan, northeastern Punjab, Kashmir, and parts of Balochistan. The risk of landslides and mudslides is high in vulnerable mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, and Kashmir, which may cause road closures and travel disruptions.
The department has also cautioned about possible urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera, and Peshawar.
Punjab is expected to receive widespread rain with chances of isolated heavy falls in Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Chiniot, Okara, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Multan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar, and Dera Ghazi Khan.
In Sindh, mainly hot and humid weather is expected in most districts. However, rain-wind/thundershowers may occur in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, Thatta, Mithi, Sanghar, Dadu, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Larkana, Kashmore, Shikarpur and nearby areas.
— Additional input from APP
