ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster and weather authorities issued fresh flood warnings on Thursday as new monsoon rains are expected in parts of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, with the national death toll from rain-related incidents rising to 64 in just over a week.
A weather system is currently active over Chakwal, Talagang, and Mianwali districts and is expected to bring rain, wind and thunderstorms to areas including Khushab, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat in the next two to four hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in an advisory on Thursday morning.
“Public is advised to take precautionary measures during the weather activity accordingly,” the PMD said in a statement issued from its Islamabad office.
Separately, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also warned of a fresh spell of monsoon rains across the province from July 5 to 10, with heavy downpours expected to trigger flash flooding, especially in low-lying and river-adjacent districts.
“The second monsoon spell will begin from July 5 across Punjab,” the PDMA said in an alert, listing expected rains in Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and D.G. Khan among other districts.
“All relevant departments have been issued preemptive alerts on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz,” it added.
The warning comes as Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that at least 64 people, including 45 children and 31 women, had been killed and over 113 injured in rain-related incidents since June 26.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accounted for 22 deaths, followed by Punjab with 21, Sindh with 15, and Balochistan with five, the NDMA said.
The authority has issued impact-based alerts highlighting the risk of urban flooding, flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) across northern regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and KP as well as hill torrents in DG Khan and Rajanpur.
“The National Emergencies Operation Center has issued multiple alerts in light of forecasted severe weather conditions expected from 2nd to 8th July 2025,” the NDMA said.
In the country’s mountainous north, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan, high temperatures have accelerated glacier melt, compounding the risk of sudden floods and landslides in narrow valleys and near vulnerable glacial lakes, the authority added.
“Tourists are advised against visiting high-altitude and glacial regions during this period,” the NDMA warned, instructing municipal and district administrations to clear stormwater drains, activate emergency response teams and prepare for possible evacuations.
Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is consistently ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains and glacier melt caused catastrophic floods that affected 33 million people and killed more than 1,700.
In its alert on Thursday, the PDMA specifically warned of urban flooding in northern and central Punjab, while the PMD warned of localized thunderstorms and strong winds hitting key agricultural and urban districts over the next 48 hours.
The authorities have urged the public to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid unnecessary travel and keep children away from electricity poles and waterlogged areas.
For emergencies, the PDMA advised citizens to contact its helpline 1129.
