New monsoon system may cause flooding

New monsoon system may cause flooding
LAHORE: Widespread rains lashed several cities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday as a fresh, week-long monsoon spell began with prospects of generating flooding in different parts of the country.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that rains could be very heavy at some places because of the intensification of a continuing westerly wave over northern parts of the country, incursion from the Bay of Bengal of a moist current into sub-mountain areas of Punjab and development of low pressure area over India.

Heavy shower was reported in Okara and Noorpur Thal with the two cities receiving 97mm and 84mm of rain, respectively.

It was light but persistent rain in Lahore which kept the weather pleasant. The maximum temperature in the provincial capital was recorded at 27.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 24 degrees C with 92 per cent humidity in the morning and 88 per cent in the evening.

The Met Office said a strong weather system developing over central India could cause widespread heavy rains in Pakistan in the coming week. Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to generate severe flooding in lower parts of Sindh and flash floods in local rivers/nullahs of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eastern Balochistan.

The system, it said, would affect Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Sunday to Thursday; and Punjab from Sunday to Saturday, adding that heavy rains might cause flash floods in local rivers/nullahs of Punjab, particularly in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala and D.G. Khan divisions.

Lower Sindh will be affected from Monday to Tuesday. Widespread rain and thundershowers with isolated downpour are expected from Wednesday to Saturday in most parts of the province, including Karachi. Heavy rainfall may cause severe flooding in Sindh, particularly in lower parts of the province.

The Met department advised Sindh irrigation officials to reduce water flows to canals during the coming week to avoid flooding and called for close monitoring of the Left Bank Outfall Drain to avoid breaches.

Scattered rains and thundershowers are likely to lash northeast of Balochistan on Monday and Tuesday, while eastern parts of the province are likely to be hit by widespread rains and thundershowers from Wednesday to Friday.

Scattered rains/thundershowers are likely in Kashmir on Monday, it said, adding that heavy rains/thundershowers might lash it from Tuesday to Saturday, causing flash floods in local rivers/ravines.

It said that isolated rains/thundershowers were likely in Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday and scattered rains from Tuesday to Sunday. The Met department advised the authorities concerned to remain alert during the coming week (from Aug 29 to Sept 3).

It said that Kakul received 79mm of rains on Sunday, Muzaffarabad 67mm, Murree and Rawalakot 45mm each, Saidu Sharif 41mm, Garhi Dupatta and Mangla 36mm each, Balakot 34mm, Chakwal and D.G. Khan 24mm each, Khanpur 22mm, Faisalabad 18mm, Joharabad 16mm, Bahawalnagar and Sahiwal 14mm each, Bhakkar 12mm, Kalat and Jhang 11mm each, Khuzdar and Peshawar 10mm each, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Toba Tek Singh 9mm each, Lahore city, Chhor and Risalpur 7mm each, Cherat and Parachinar 5mm each, D.I. Khan, Lower Dir, Multan, Kotli, Gilgit, Bannu and Kamra 3mm each, Hunza, Kotli, Islamabad Zero Point, Mandi Bahauddin and Gupis 2mm each, and Jhelum and Malamjabba 1mm each.