Heavy rain hits city; more rain forecast

LAHORE: Heavy rain hit the provincial capital on Thursday and majority of roads were submerged with rainwater within minutes while Meteorological Department predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours.

Meteorological officials said the rain started at around 11.40 a.m. and continued till 12.50 p.m. Met officials said that 55mm rain was recorded at Qartaba Chowk, which was submerged with the accumulated rainwater for at least two to three hours.

Wasa Managing Director Zahid Aziz said that Wasa utilised heavy machinery and manpower immediately after the rain and the rainwater was drained out within two hours after the rain. Rainwater was seen accumulated at Johar Town, Ichhra, Muslim Town, Garden Town, Bahria Town, Mozang, Railway Road, Gwalmandi, Davis Road, Garhi Shahu, Canal Bank Road, Township and their adjacent areas. MET officials said seasonal low lay over northwest Balochistan.

They said weak monsoon currents from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal were continuously penetrating the upper and central parts of the country and likely to continue during next 48 hours. They predicted that rain-thundershower with gusty winds was expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Zhob, Kalat and Mirpurkhas divisions, Islamabad, FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.