- KP PDMA warns the increase in the risk of sliding land in mountainous areas.
- Said Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan can face urban floods.
- Strong winds can damage low structures, warns the PDMA.
The provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a flood warning while the Pakistani meteorological department (PMD) has planned continuous wet time in different regions of the province.
In its meteorological opinion, the provincial organization said that showers are likely to inflate watercourses and local rivers today, with the risk of flooding in districts such as Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan and Abbottabad. The persistent rain is likely to cause landslides in mountainous areas, threatening road access and cutting away from distant communities, he added.
He noted that low parts of Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan can also face urban floods.
The PDMA warned that strong winds and strong showers could damage mud houses and fragile structures such as mud houses, walls, electric posts, display panels, vehicles and solar panels.
Local administrations, police and rescue services were placed on alert, while the public and tourists were invited to avoid unnecessary trips, to move away from the banks and stay up to date to avoid any accident.
In its weather forecasts, the PMD also warned of the heavy generalized rains which could trigger sudden floods and landslides in several parts of the country in the next 24 hours.
According to forecasts, strong showers can cause floods in local rivers and rivers through Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Biner, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan.
Heavy showers are also expected in Murrier, in the Galliyat region.
Meanwhile, at Dera Ismail Khan, powerful winds and torrential rains have dropped the trees and the lines of electricity, cutting power in many areas. The roof collapses in different localities has left at least seven dead and dozens of other injured, according to rescue officials.
KP government spokesperson Faraz Mughal said that the loss of life of Dera Ismail Khan due to storms and heavy rains was “deeply sad”.
He added that the chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur had ordered the district administrative and rescue services to remain on alert.
An emergency has been declared in the Hospitals of Dera Ismail Khan to provide immediate medical aid to the injured, he said.
Energy rescue and restoration teams work on sites, while the provincial government has promised any possible relief for people affected, he said.
In addition, in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, hours of drawbacks have triggered sudden floods in rivers and drains. The region of Bhara Kahu has been overwhelmed, with water entering stores and houses while vehicles were blocked.
Several hiking trails in the hills of Margalla have been closed for public security. Hiking trails in the hills of Margalla, including trails 2, 3, 4, 5 and the one behind the village of Saidpur, were closed for security reasons.
In its weather forecasts for other parts of the country, the Met Office said that heavy showers were probably in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, northeast of Punjab, cashmere and Dera Ghazi Khan, which increases the risk of overflowing seasonal waterways.
The national forecastist warned that the low areas in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Siackot, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan can also cope with a water kit.
The Met Office said that northeast of Punjab could see particularly intense showers, while southern Punjab, northeast of Balutchistan and Southeast Sindh are also likely to receive rain with thunder in the evening and night.
In Punjab, the provincial PDMA has raised concerns about the increase in water levels in Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej and Jhelum rivers.
Authority has warned that floods are possible in the northern and northeast districts, the Sutlej already flowing at a high level near Ganda Singh Wala and should remain high for at least 48 hours.
Rescue teams have been deployed in sensitive areas, while announcements are made in mosques and through local authorities to alert communities at risk.
People were advised to contact the PDMA Helpline 1129 in an emergency.
According to the opinion, rivers, including the delight, Chenab, Sutlej and Jhelum, could undergo medium to high flood levels, with the risk of sudden floods in the districts of the north and northeast.
Instructions have been issued to ensure that all emergency agreements are in place, with rescue units already deployed in vulnerable areas.
