ISLAMABAD:
A brief spell of heavy rain on Monday evening turned streets in Islamabad and Rawalpindi into streams, prompting authorities to issue an evacuation alert for residents along Nullah Leh. Murree and Azad Kashmir also experienced torrential downpours.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the twin cities and the Potohar region were placed on alert shortly before the storm hit. Within minutes, major roads in G-11, F-11, F-6, Bhara Kahu, Kuri Road, Chatha Bakhtawar, and Ghouri Town were submerged. In Islamabad, 81 millimetres of rain fell in just 40 minutes, with a total of 99 millimetres recorded over 90 minutes. Officials clarified that while this was a “severe storm,” it did not meet the criteria for a cloudburst, which requires over 100 mm of rain at one spot within an hour.
In Azad Kashmir’s Jhelum Valley, a cloudburst in Mohamdu Bela village triggered flash floods in Nullah Qazi Nag, forcing the precautionary shutdown of Khatai and Chhamfall power projects, cutting electricity to Channari and nearby areas.
Warning sirens were sounded along Nullah Leh in Rawalpindi, and residents were advised to move to safer ground. PMD spokesperson Irfan Virk said flooding of low-lying areas and local streams remained a risk until Tuesday night.
The PMD forecast indicated widespread rain with thunderstorms in Kashmir and northeast Punjab, with scattered heavy downpours expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore, and surrounding districts. Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Swat, Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, and Abbottabad, could also see intense showers, with a risk of landslides in hilly areas.
