PM orders inquiry into Met Dept’s ‘failure to predict storm’ in twin cities

Notice says thunderstorm was clearly visible even to the naked eye in Islamabad at 4:00 pm on June 1

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday directed the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) to submit an explanation regarding its failure to predict the thunderstorms that struck Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the twin cities on June 1.

A notice issued by PM Nawaz ordered Director General (DG) Met Dr Ghulam Itasool to submit an explanation for "this very serious and culpable neglect of duty" which killed at least 15 people.



"Your report should reach this office by close of business hours today," the notice read.

It further stated, "The Met department, despite modern equipment and technology available to it, failed to either forecast, or to issue an adequate warning, regarding the impending storm."

The last update from the department on it official website is from May 16.

The notice went on to state that the thunderstorm "was clearly visible even to the naked eye in Islamabad at around 4:00pm on June 1.

At least 15 people were killed and 125 injured when a powerful windstorm, accompanied by rain, swept through the twin cities and parts of K-P, felling trees, electricity pylons and hoardings, damaging houses and suspending power supply to several neighbourhoods.



The hardest hit were the twin cities where at least nine people were killed, while six died in different cities of K-P, according to police and medics. The casualties were mainly caused by falling trees, signboards and electricity poles and roof-collapse incidents. Damage to property has yet to be assessed.

Gusty winds blew at a speed of 148km/h and 120km/h in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, respectively. The storm lasted for 25 to 30 minutes at different places – a duration considered to be dangerous by weather experts.