NDMA Warns of Heavy Rain Across Pakistan from Today
Pakistan is bracing for another round of monsoon rains from August 8 to 13, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned, following weeks of heavy downpours that have already claimed at least 303 lives.
The rains, which began unusually early on June 26, have left more than 700 injured and reignited fears of flooding on the scale of 2022, when a third of the country was submerged and over 1,700 people lost their lives.
Authorities said the upcoming spell would be caused by low-pressure systems forming in the region along with a western disturbance. The NDMA said isolated rainfall was expected across much of the country during the forecast period.
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In the north, a glacial lake outburst flood from Shisper Glacier in Hunza caused the Hassanabad Nullah to swell, damaging infrastructure and endangering dozens of homes in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
Local media reported that the flooding also eroded protective walls along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade route with China, and affected farmland.
The NDMA expects more showers in Astore, Skardu, Hunza and Shighar, as well as in Bagh, Neelum Valley and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir. In Punjab, rainfall is forecast for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, and several other districts, with intermittent breaks.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) chief in Punjab Irfan Ali Kathia urged the public to take safety precautions. He advised residents to keep children away from streams, rivers, canals and low-lying areas, and to avoid swimming during rains.
