ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) alerted its relevant departments to ensure provision of emergency machinery and staff to deal with possible floods, the state-run Radio Pakistan said on Tuesday, as Pakistan braces for floods in low-lying areas yet again with monsoon rains forecast in several cities of the country from this week.

Pakistan’s weather office forecast heavy thunder and rain from Monday evening in the capital, Islamabad, and in the cities of Lahore and Peshawar, adding that it would spread to other areas until Saturday. The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that flooding was possible in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, and Lahore, with the risk of flash floods in hilly western areas late this week.

Large swathes of the South Asian country were submerged last year due to extremely heavy monsoon rains and melting glaciers, a phenomenon linked to climate change that damaged crops and infrastructure and killed at least 1,700 people.

“National Disaster Management Authority has directed all relevant departments to remain alert in view of the rain spell from Monday till July 8,” Radio Pakistan said in a report.

In its alert, the NDMA warned that intense rainfall may cause Pakistan’s northern areas to experience landslides, adding that heavy rains may also trigger floods in the country’s low-lying areas. The NDMA urged relevant departments — including the district administration — to ensure the provision of medical staff, emergency machinery and staff to respond to the situation.

“Tourists and travelers should be aware of the weather conditions before traveling,” the NDMA said in a Twitter post, urging farmers and owners of livestock to take relevant precautions. It called on Pakistan’s institutions to notify residents who were living in flood-prone areas of the country about the possibility of floods.

Pakistan estimates damages from last year’s monsoon rains and the ensuing floods to be around $30 billion. The South Asian country, whose economy has already taken a battering over the past year, has been reeling from economic problems that was exacerbated by the cataclysmic floods, putting the country on the brink of default.

Pakistan has received commitments of more than $9 billion from international donors to help recover from the 2022 floods with rebuilding efforts estimated to cost about $16.3 billion.