ISLAMABAD: Heavy rains from Aug. 26-30 could trigger flash floods in the low-lying areas of Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan provinces, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Monday, as monsoon downpours have already killed 243 people and injured 447 others since July 1 in the country. 

Heavy monsoon rains since July have triggered floods and landslides in many parts of the country, notably Pakistan’s Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, which have reported the highest number of casualties. Since July 1, Punjab has reported 92 casualties and 231 injured from rain-related incidents while KP has reported 74 deaths and 128 injuries. Sindh has recorded 48 deaths and 57 injuries while Balochistan has reported 21 deaths and 13 injuries since July 1 due to rain-related incidents. 

“There is a risk of flooding in low-lying areas of Sindh, south Punjab and Balochistan due to torrential rains from Aug. 26-30,” the PMD said in a statement. 

It warned that the hill streams of Dera Ghazi Khan, Dadu, Kalat, Khuzdar, Jafarabad, Sibi, Nasirabad, Barkhan, Loralai, Awaran, Panjgur, Washak, Mastung and Lasbela could experience flooding during these days. 

Whereas the northern areas of Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) may experience landslides due to heavy rains, the Met office said. 

Since the onset of monsoon rains in July, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has warned tourists against traveling to areas susceptible to floods. Pakistan’s top disaster management body has also advised people to stay informed and download the NDMA’s disaster alert mobile app for timely alerts and weather reports.

Pakistan is recognized as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change effects in the world. This year, the South Asian country recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall while some areas of the country faced a heat wave in May and June. 

In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered flash floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.

Scientists have attributed Pakistan’s erratic weather patterns to climate change effects and called on countries around the world to take urgent steps to tackle the crisis.