Heavy rains: PMD issues flood, landslide alert

Islamabad: While forecasting widespread monsoon rains in central and upper parts of the country until Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has alerted the authorities to the possibility of flash floods and landslides.

In a weather advisory, the PMD said the weak monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea were continuously penetrating in upper and central parts of the country.

It, however, said strong monsoon currents from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal were likely to enter the upper parts of the country early on Thursday before spreading to central and southern parts until Saturday.

The PMD said under the influence of those conditions, widespread rains both isolated heavy and very heavy coupled with wind and thunderstorms would fall in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Hazara, Malakand, Peshawar and Mardan divisions, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir until Saturday.

It also forecast scattered rainfall both isolated moderate and heavy coupled with wind and thunderstorms in Kohat, Bannu, DI Khan, Zhob, Kalat, Sibbi, Naseerabad, DG Khan, Multan, Sahiwal and Bahawalpur divisions and Gilgit- Baltistan during the period.

The PMD warned high-to-very high flood with sharp peaks of exceptional high flooding was expected in the upstream of Mangla, while high-to-very high flood was likely to occur in the River Chenab at Marala and its downstream.

It added that flows might attain medium-to-high flood level in the River Indus at Tarbela and the River Kabul at Nowshera along with their tributaries until Saturday.

The PMD warned that heavy falls could generate flash flooding in local nullahs and riverine of Hazara, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala divisions and Azad Jammu and Kashmir triggering landslides in Hazara division and AJK on Thursday and Friday and in Zhob, Kalat and DG Khan divisions on Friday and Saturday.

"Heavy rainfall can generate flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Sargodha divisions during the period," it said asking the authorities to remain alert and take precautionary measures to minimise damage to public life and property.