PESHAWAR:
At least two people were killed and 11 others injured in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed parts of the province, triggering fresh weather warnings from authorities for the coming days.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), deaths were reported in Mardan during rain-related incidents on Monday evening, while injuries were recorded in Battagram, Swat and Mardan.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has meanwhile forecast dust storms and rains with occasional interruptions in the upper parts of the country till May 23.
The PDMA report said four people were injured in Battagram, one in Mardan and six in Swat. The bad weather also caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure in several districts.
According to the report, four houses – one in Battagram and three in Shangla – were completely destroyed. Twenty-seven other houses suffered partial damage, including two in Swat, five in Torghar, one in Upper Dir and one in Mardan. A school in Shangla was also damaged due to the extreme weather conditions.
The PDMA daily weather report showed that Kalam received the highest rainfall in the province in the last 24 hours, recording 12 mm of rain, followed by Chitral with 11 mm, Malam Jabba with 8 mm and Saidu Sharif and Balakot with 7 mm each.
Kakul and Mardan recorded 4mm each, while Drosh received 2mm. Parachinar, Timergara, Mirkhani and Dir each recorded 1 mm of precipitation.
Earlier, the PMD had said that a westerly wave is likely to approach the northwestern areas of the country on the night of May 18 and persist in the upper regions until May 23.
Under the influence of the weather system, dust and rain thunderstorms, accompanied by isolated hailstorms, are expected in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner and other areas.
