Heavy rain throws daily life into disarray

Heavy rain and hailstorms struck Rawalpindi in the early hours of Friday, leading to widespread flooding and disruption across the city. The intense weather overwhelmed all the storm drains including Nullah Leh, resulting in low-level flooding. Additionally, the heavy rain and strong winds caused power outages in most areas of the city and cantonment, leaving citizens without electricity for four to six hours.

The heavy rainfall raised concerns about the spread of dengue fever, as low-lying areas experienced up to a foot of water accumulation. Overflowing sewers and water collecting on roadsides inconvenienced commuters.

While the rain provided temporary relief from the heat, making the weather cool and pleasant, the intense sunshine after 10am quickly pushed temperatures back to their peak.

However, the rainfall positively impacted the water levels of three major dams including Rawal Dam, Simly Dam, and Khanpur Dam. The catchment areas of these dams, located in the hills, began to accumulate water, easing concerns about a potential water crisis in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad this summer.

Continued rainfall is expected to fill Rawal Dam to capacity, which may lead to the opening of its spillways.

Several areas were significantly affected by the heavy rain, including Javed Colony, Nadeem Colony, Dhok Khaba, Dhok Elahi Baksh, Ariya Mohalla, Chah Sultan, Sadiqabad Chowk, Bihari Colony, Tahma Sapabad, Fuji Colony, Pirwadhai, Dhok Haso Pul Shah Nazar, Udara, Peoples Colony, and Tinch Bhata. These regions saw up to a foot of water accumulation.

Residents living along the drains and rain channels were startled by the early morning downpour and scrambled to protect their valuables, fearing potential flooding.

In response, teams from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) promptly arrived at the underpasses and low-lying areas to drain the water and mitigate the impact of the flooding. Their swift action helped alleviate some of the immediate concerns, though the overall disruption caused by the heavy rain and hailstorms highlighted the city's vulnerability to such weather events.