Heavy rain lashes several areas in country

RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other parts of upper Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday.

The rain started early in the morning in KP including Peshawar and the adjoining areas of Punjab. The Met Office says 52mm of rain was recorded in the city area of Peshawar and 37mm at Bacha Khan Airport by 8am during the past 24 hours.

However rain continued even after that. But Islamabad and Rawalpindi received the heaviest of rainfall for the second consecutive day where the administration had to declare rain emergency, forcing the use of machinery to pump out water from the submerged roads and localities. The downpour continued for several hours and continued till noon.

According to the Met Office Shamsabad had received 79mm of rain followed by 62mm at Katcheri and 39mm at Chaklala areas of Rawalpindi during the past 24 hours till 8am. The amount of rain recorded at Zero Point, Bokra and Saidpur in Islamabad was 57mm 39mm and 26mm respectively.

Meanwhile various parts of Lahore too were lashed by heavy to moderate rain on Saturday afternoon the city which has so far experienced two record-breaking days of rain this season. The Met Office says rain and thundershowers are expected in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Potohar region, KP, Kashmir and northeast Balochistan with isolated heavy falls in Kashmir and upper KP.

On the other hand the weather report for Sunday predicts rain and thundershower in Kashmir, Potohar region, Islamabad northeast east Punjab and KP. Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Potohar region Kashmir and upper KP during the forecast period.