KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday warned of more monsoon showers, floods and landslides in the country between July 6 and July 10, urging citizens to exercise caution during the forecast period.
The development comes as Pakistan braces for an extreme monsoon season, which usually lasts till mid-September, with 64 people killed in rains and floods in a little more than a week.
More rains and strong winds are expected in Punjab’s Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan cities as well as the capital, Islamabad. Thunderstorms are likely to hit Swat, Chitral, Peshawar, Mardan and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Due to rains and other factors, there is a risk of flooding in low-lying areas, overflowing of rivers and canals and landslides in mountainous areas,” the NDMA said in its latest advisory.
The northern Gilgit-Baltistan region and Azad Kashmir may witness heavy showers, floods and landslides, according to the authority.
Similarly, downpours are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Tharparkar and other cities of the Sindh province as well as Quetta, Zhob, Khuzdar and Sibi in Balochistan.
“Stay away from weak structures, electricity poles, billboards. There is a risk of accidents due to reduced visibility in storms, be careful,” the NDMA asked citizens. “Stay away from rivers and canals.”
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.
