Downpour floods low-lying areas

LAHORE:

Early Monday morning witnessed a substantial downpour across various cities in Punjab, including the provincial capital Lahore, marking a significant shift in weather patterns.

The rainfall, accompanied by thunder and strong winds, resulted in localised flooding in low-lying areas, transforming streets into temporary waterways and causing disruptions in daily routines, including power outages in various areas of the province.

In Lahore, areas such as Davis Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Gawalmandi, Mall Road, Ichhra, Qainchi, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Gajumatta, Islampura, Bund Road, Anarkali, Shalimar Bagh, Model Town, Gulberg, Garden Town, and Township experienced cloudy conditions following the rain.

Similar weather conditions were observed in Muridke, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Safdarabad, Jaranwala, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Kamoke, Narowal, Okara, Jhang, Bahawalpur, Renala Khurd, Kot Addu, Bhalwal, Kabirwala, Hafizabad, and other cities, where varying intensities of rainfall brought relief from the preceding heatwave.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), moist currents from the Arabian Sea are currently influencing the upper regions of the country and are expected to strengthen on Tuesday. Additionally, a trough of shallow westerly wave is forecast to approach the upper parts of the country.

In the past 24 hours, rain and thunderstorms were reported in isolated areas of Murree, Mangla, Jhelum, Narowal, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sheikhupura, and Kasur districts.

Conversely, the weather remained hot and dry in all other districts of Punjab.

Monday's weather forecast showed mainly hot and humid conditions in most districts of the province, with the possibility of rain, windstorms, and thunderstorms at isolated places including Murree, the Galyat, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, Attock, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Multan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar.

For Tuesday, similar weather patterns are expected to persist, with rain, windstorms, and thunderstorms forecasted in isolated areas across Murree, Galyat, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, Attock, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Multan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar.

Rainfall data from the last 24 hours indicates significant accumulations in various regions, with Mangla receiving 57.2mm, Lahore city 49mm, Gujranwala 42.6mm, and other cities experiencing varying levels of precipitation.

The highest temperature recorded in Punjab during the period was 47.3°C in Bhakkar, while Murree reported the lowest temperature at 17°C.

According to the authorities, torrential rains may cause flash floods in local streams of Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Narowal, Murree, Galyat and hill torrent of Dera Ghazi Khan during the period from July 4 to 7.

Water flows in eastern rivers are likely to increase during the vigorous monsoon rains.

Urban flooding in Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad is also expected during the period. Landslides may disrupt roads at the vulnerable points of hilly areas.

Heavy downpour, storm and lightning may affect daily routine, weak structures like rooves and walls collapse of mud houses, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels.

Farmers were advised to manage their activities keeping in view the weather forecast.