Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of flash floods, urban flooding, and rising river levels across several parts of the country as strong monsoon currents and a westerly weather system are expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall through July 25.
In its latest Daily Flood Bulletin issued on Thursday, the Flood Forecasting Division said River Chenab at Khanki and Qadirabad is flowing at a high flood level, while Chenab at Marala is at a medium flood level. Low flood levels have also been recorded at Indus (Tarbela and Chashma), Kabul (Nowshera), Chenab (Chiniot Bridge), and Ravi (Balloki).
The PMD warned that scattered to widespread rain, accompanied by isolated heavy to very heavy falls, is expected over the catchments of all major rivers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which could significantly increase river flows over the next two days. Medium to high flows are also expected in the Kabul River and its tributaries, while Warsak and Munda dams may experience low to medium flooding within the next 24 hours.
The department also forecast flash flooding in the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, streams across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and parts of northern Balochistan. In addition, urban flooding is likely in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, and Sahiwal.
Heavy rainfall is expected in Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, central and northern Punjab, as well as parts of Sindh and Balochistan. The PMD said a low-pressure system currently over southern Rajasthan, India, is expected to move toward southeastern Sindh within the next two to three days, potentially intensifying rainfall.
Key PMD Warnings
| Threat | Areas at Risk |
|---|---|
| High river flooding | Chenab at Khanki and Qadirabad |
| Medium river flooding | Chenab at Marala |
| Flash floods | DG Khan hill torrents, KP streams, northern Balochistan |
| Urban flooding | Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Sahiwal |
| Rising river flows | Catchments of major rivers in Punjab and KP through July 25 |
