NDMA Warns of Flash Floods, Landslides Across Northern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority has issued a fresh flood alert for northern Pakistan, warning that heavy rainfall over the next 72 hours could trigger flash floods, landslides and dangerous increases in river and stream levels. Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been identified among the areas facing heightened risk as another spell of severe monsoon weather develops.

The National Emergencies Operation Centre expects strong winds, thunderstorms and heavy rain across upper parts of the affected regions during the next two to three days. Authorities have warned that intense rainfall may rapidly increase flows in rivers, mountain streams, seasonal waterways and nullahs, while unstable slopes in mountainous areas could become vulnerable to landslides and debris flows.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, officials have identified Gilgit, Diamer, Ghizer, Hunza, Astore, Skardu and Shigar among districts where flash flooding may occur. The warning is particularly significant for communities and travellers in valleys and mountainous areas, where water levels in normally manageable streams can rise rapidly following intense rainfall upstream.

Several districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are also under alert, including Bagh, Poonch, Muzaffarabad, Haveli, Bhimber, Sudhanoti, Mirpur and Kotli. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vulnerable locations include Chitral, Dir, Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Shangla, Battagram, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur. Nowshera, Peshawar, Swabi and Mardan face an additional risk of urban flooding, particularly in low-lying neighbourhoods and on roads with inadequate drainage.

The alert also covers major river systems. Higher flows are expected in the Indus, Kabul, Swat, Panjkora, Kurram, Tochi, Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi rivers during the warning period. Water levels may rise at multiple points along the Indus, Ravi, Chenab and Kabul, as well as in smaller streams connected to these systems. Authorities are monitoring conditions because sustained rainfall can affect downstream communities even when rain is concentrated farther north.

Rawalpindi and Islamabad are also being watched closely because rainfall could increase flows in Nullah Lai. Relevant departments have been told to remain alert, particularly in low-lying areas that can become inundated when the waterway rises rapidly. Local administrations in vulnerable districts have been instructed to prepare precautionary measures and keep emergency resources positioned where they can be deployed quickly.

Disaster management officials have directed authorities to maintain arrangements for possible evacuations and to ensure that equipment and personnel are available in flood-prone locations. Residents have been advised to avoid riverbanks, streams, nullahs and other seasonal waterways during severe weather. Travellers and tourists have also been urged to check forecasts and road conditions before entering mountainous regions and to respect any closures imposed by local administrations.

The public has been warned not to attempt to cross floodwater either on foot or in vehicles, because fast-moving water can become dangerous even when it appears shallow. With the monsoon continuing to create rapidly changing conditions across northern Pakistan, the next 72 hours will be critical for local administrations and emergency services. Authorities are expected to continue monitoring rainfall, river levels and vulnerable settlements while issuing further warnings if conditions deteriorate.