PMD Warns of Urban Flooding as Heavy Rain Targets Twin Cities
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of another spell of heavy rain across Islamabad, Rawalpindi and several northern regions, raising the risk of urban flooding, flash floods and landslides. The forecast covers upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeastern Punjab, the Pothohar region, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, where rain accompanied by wind and thunderstorms is expected, with heavier falls possible during the evening and night.
The alert comes after intermittent rainfall continued in the twin cities for a second consecutive day. Water and Sanitation Agency personnel were deployed in vulnerable low-lying areas of Rawalpindi as authorities monitored drainage conditions. Rainwater also remained accumulated at Jamia Girls Higher Secondary School in the city, disrupting classes and creating difficulties for students and staff.
The recent wet weather has already had deadly consequences. Rescue officials recovered the body of a girl who had drowned in a stormwater drain in Rawalpindi earlier in the week. Officials said personal belongings were found near Gulberg Green, while footage connected to the incident had also surfaced as authorities continued examining the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
According to the Met Office, the nights of September 3 and 4 could bring conditions capable of producing urban flooding in low-lying parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as Mardan, Swabi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot. The department also cautioned that intense rainfall could rapidly increase water levels in local streams and nullahs in Kashmir, Murree, Galiyat, the Pothohar region and the twin cities.
Mountainous areas face an additional threat from landslides. The PMD identified upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir among locations where saturated slopes and heavy rain could create hazardous conditions. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, showers and thunderstorms are forecast across a broad belt including Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Buner, Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Malakand, Mohmand, Khyber, Bajaur and adjoining districts.
Punjab is expected to remain hot and humid in many districts, but rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Murree, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock, Narowal, Sialkot, Lahore, Gujranwala and Gujrat. Sindh and Balochistan are likely to experience mainly hot and humid conditions, while coastal areas including Karachi could receive drizzle under partly cloudy skies.
Rainfall recorded during the preceding 24 hours showed significant activity in Islamabad and surrounding regions. Saidpur received 45 millimetres, Islamabad City recorded 28mm and the capital's airport received 12mm. Saidu Sharif recorded 35mm, while New Kattarian and Shamsabad in Rawalpindi received 13mm and 12mm respectively, highlighting the uneven distribution of the ongoing weather system.
The latest forecast places renewed pressure on urban drainage systems and emergency response arrangements in several Pakistani cities already vulnerable to waterlogging during intense monsoon spells. Residents in low-lying areas, near streams and in landslide-prone zones will need to follow official weather and safety advisories closely as authorities monitor rainfall through the coming nights. The next major concern will be whether heavier downpours forecast for September 3 and 4 translate into flooding in densely populated urban areas.