Heavy rainfall floods streets in Rawalpindi

Islamabad: Literally, water was everywhere in no time at all. At around 11a.m. on Saturday, Islamabad city saw a cloudburst with rain beginning to pour down. The heavy monsoon rainfall, which lasted one and a half hours, left the roads and streets across the city, especially in low-lying areas, flooded within minutes.

The rainstorm uprooted trees and pulled down walls and signboards at many places. However, no damage to public life or property was reported.

The rain began to fall so suddenly that motorcyclists had to pull over under trees and bridges for cover. Many automobiles broke down on waterlogged roads and thus, causing throwing the traffic on many roads in a mess.

Tailbacks were everywhere with the traffic cops struggling to regulate the movement of vehicles.

Things were the worst at the arteries, which are under construction or where work on bridges is under way.

The road users criticised the civic authorities for faulty drainage system in the city, especially for roads, saying there’re traffic mess whenever it rained. They also complained of potholed roads and faulty traffic lights.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department insisted the heavy rains were caused by a westerly persisting over upper parts of the country.

According to it, more downpour accompanied by gusty winds is expected in the next 48 hours at a number of places in Islamabad, Punjab, KP, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and at scattered places in FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and eastern Balochistan.

The PMD however warned heavy downpour could trigger flash floods and landslides in the vulnerable areas of Punjab, Balochistan, KP, GB and AJK. As Saturday was a weekend, families turned to parks and recreational spots.