City drenched as downpour hits Lahore, disrupts traffic

LAHORE: Heavy to moderate rainfall inundated the provincial capital here on Monday, with meteorological officials predicting similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours. Besides Lahore, rainfall was also observed in several cities across the country.

The rain started in the afternoon and continued until the night, affecting different areas of the city. Traffic was disrupted, slowing down to a snail’s pace on various city roads.The rainfall transformed the city’s atmosphere into a cool and pleasant environment as grey and black clouds covered the skies, bringing relief from the hot and humid weather.

Data released by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) indicated rainfall measurements in various areas of the city. Managing Director Wasa, Ghafran Ahmed, conducted surprise visits to assess the situation and directed all disposal stations to drain out accumulated rainwater from the main roads.

He ensured that Wasa’s operation staff remained on duty until all rainwater was cleared from the city roads.Meanwhile, meteorological officials warned of isolated, moderate-to-heavy rainfall that may lead to flash floods in local nullahs or streams in certain areas on April 29th.

They also cautioned about the possibility of landslides in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Windstorms, hailstorms, and lightning were predicted to affect human lives and infrastructure.A westerly wave affecting the upper parts of the country was expected to persist for the next 24 hours.

Dry weather with gusty winds was likely in most parts of the country, while more rain-windstorms and thunderstorms (with a few hailstorms) were expected at isolated places in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.

The highest maximum temperature recorded on Monday was 41°C in Mithi and Shaheed Benazirabad, while in Lahore, it reached 31.2°C. The minimum temperature in Lahore was 19.2°C.