Rain alert as another monsoon spell sets in
A man stands near a vehicle stuck in water waiting to be rescued during heavy monsoon rain in the city. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE
A new monsoon spell entered Pakistan on Thursday, prompting weather experts to issue warning of a possibility of thunderstorms and heavy rains in different regions of the country.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that another wet spell would enter the country from the Bay of Bengal which would be strengthened by currents from Arabian Sea next week, bringing rains in Sindh on July 21 and 22.
The new monsoon spell was expected to persist until July 17, bringing thunderstorms and heavy rain to Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman warned in a tweet of the “risk of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, and Lahore” in the wake of heavy rainfall from July 13 to 17.
The minister warned that strong winds, thunderstorms, and heavy rainfall could cause damage to vulnerable infrastructure such as power poles, solar panels, and mudhouses and urged the people to take necessary precautions.
“All relevant departments have been instructed to remain alert,” she added. “Also, there is an alert on possible landslides in hilly areas such as Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” she wrote in her tweet.
Also the PMD predicted continuous rains in Karachi and the other parts of Sindh between July 21 and 22 under a new series of monsoon showers, which were coming from the Bay of Bengal.
“The system coming from the Bay of Bengal may receive moist winds from the Arabian Sea, which will strengthen the rain system,” the PMD said. “The exact intensity of rains in Karachi will be assessed when the system approaches.”
Read More monsoon rains to lash Pakistan from July 13
“As per the synoptic situation, monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea were continuously penetrating the upper and central parts of the country and are likely to continue in the coming days,” the PMD said in its daily weather update.
The current rainy spell was the second monsoon spell of the season. The previous spell set in on July 3, brought heavy showers in upcountry areas. By July 5, at least seven people were killed in Lahore after 291 millimetres of rainfall.
The severe monsoon spell left death and devastation in its wake, with floods, landslides and faulty infrastructure collapse, claiming the lives of at least 50 people. Moreover, 87 people were reportedly injured.
Riverine floods
The heavy rainfall also led to flooding in the Chenab river with water flowing into more than 40 villages of Jhang district. According to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), 48,700 cusecs water was released from Chenab at Marala.
According to the Irsa, 263,900 cusecs water was released from various rim stations with inflow of 310,400 cusecs. It said that water level in Indus at Tarbela Dam was 1517.31 feet – 119.31 feet higher than its dead level of 1,398 feet.
Similarly, the water level in Jhelum river at Mangla Dam was 1200.10 feet, which was 150.10 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet. The inflow and outflow of the water was recorded 55,700 cusecs and 10,000 cusecs, respectively.
The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa , Guddu and Sukkur was recorded as 159,700, 196,400, 149,200 and 85,700 cusecs respectively. While, 39,200 cusecs of water was released from the Kabul river, at Nowshera.
The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70% to 80% of its annual rainfall between June and September every year. It is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security in a region of around two billion people.
Last summer, unprecedented monsoon rains put a third of the country under water, damaging two million homes and killing more than 1,700 people. Scientists said climate change was making seasonal rains more unpredictable.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)