Pre-monsoon rains likely after mid-June

NDMA conference takes stock of monsoon preparedness

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast normal to above normal rainfall during first half of the monsoon season and normal to less than normal rainfall during second half of August to September.

Briefing the participants of the National Monsoon Preparedness Conferences-2018 held here on Thursday organized by NDMA, PMD officials said that few reports are suggesting that some extreme localized rainfall events are likely to occur in some parts of northern Punjab and K-P, which may cause localized flash flooding in mountainous regions.

“Pre-monsoon rains are expected to start in Pakistan after the mid of June and will continue till July. The actual monsoon season will start from July,” according to PMD officials.

The country is facing worst water crisis since there have been no ‘good’ showers in the last five months along with two to three degree higher than normal temperatures. Moreover, dams around Islamabad are in critical situation due to insufficient rainfalls. Therefore, the monsoon rains are being considered as a way out for addressing the current water scarcity situation.



Representatives of the entire provincial and regional disaster management on the occasion shared the nature of hazard and vulnerabilities faced in their respective provinces/regions and state of their preparedness and preventive measures. They also shared details of available rescue equipment, rehabilitations and relief stock in their warehouses for the emergencies.

Federal Flood Commission presented the policy for dams’ management and province wise vulnerable points which require special attention. National Highway Authority (NHA) shared progress on preparatory efforts undertaken for various national highways with focus on KKH, Gilgit-Skardu Road, Dir-Chitral Road, Rawalpindi-Murree-Muzaffarabad Road, Mansehra-Naran Road.

UNOCHA shared resource capacities of UN agencies across Pakistan coordination mechanism.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Member Operations Brigadier Mukhtar Ahmed presented salient features of flood preparedness plan.



Brigadier Mukhtar shared detailed contingency plan with the participants and reviewed the state of preparedness based on PMD’s weather forecast for Monsoon Season-2018. He critically evaluated and identified the limitations and inadequacies and emphasized for a better response during upcoming Monsoon by all stakeholders.

Addressing the participants of the conference, NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Omar Mahmood Hayat underlined the importance of understanding disaster management in global climate change perspective. He said that conventional disaster management practices were necessary but real challenge lay in social adaptation according to shifting weather patterns and coping with its impacts.