A fresh spell of “vigourous” monsoon rains in the country has been predicted by the Pakistan Meteorological from August 14 (Sunday) to August 18 (Thursday) and warned of flooding in several areas of Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh, including Karachi, during the forecast period.
According to a Met Office alert issued on Saturday, a depression has developed in the Arabian Sea, which is likely move towards the Makran coast in Balochistan.
Under the influence of this weather system, monsoon currents were continuously penetrating in southern parts of the country, the Met Office said, adding that another low-pressure area was likely to enter Sindh on August 16.
Consequently, “rain-wind/thundershower (with few heavy falls)” were expected in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from August 14 to August 16 with occasional gaps“, the Met Office said.
And Balochistan and Sindh were expected to receive more “widespread rain-wind/thundershowers (with scattered heavy to very heavy falls)” between August 16 and 18, it added.
According to the Met Office, heavy showers could cause urban flooding in several areas of Sindh, including Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas between August 14 and August 18.
In addition to these areas, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala could also experience urban flooding from August 14 to August 16.
The Met Office also warned of flash floods in Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Moua Khel, Sherani, Sibi, Bolan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Turbat, Panjgur, Pasni, Jiwani, Ormara, Gwadar, as well as the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab from August 14 to August 18.
It added that heavy rain could also trigger flash floods in the nullahs of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Shakargarh, Sialkot, Narowal, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Dir, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Kashmir on August 15 and August 16.
The Met Office further said that rain could trigger landslides in Kashmir, hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Galiyat, Murree, Chilas, Diamer, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore, Ghizer and Skardu during the forecast period.
