ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s meteorological department on Friday forecast another spell of heavy rains in the northern regions from July 27 to 31, warning of flash floods and landslides as the nationwide monsoon death toll rose to 266.
Since late June, Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, has reported 144 deaths, followed by 63 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 25 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, two in Azad Kashmir, and eight each in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Islamabad.
Heavy rains have triggered flash floods and landslides, destroying 70 houses and partially damaging over 100 in GB, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
“Thundershower with isolated heavy rainfall is expected in Kashmir from July 27–31, while rain and windstorms are expected in GB from July 27–31 with occasional gaps,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a statement.
Scattered heavy rainfall was predicted in some districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and the capital city of Islamabad from July 28–31, it added.
The PMD said districts of Balochistan are expected to receive thundershowers from July 29 to 31, while parts of Sindh are likely to experience rain between July 30 and 31 during the new spell.
Pakistan, which ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, has witnessed increasingly erratic weather events in recent years.
In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, while a third of the country was submerged by devastating floods in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people, affected over 30 million, and caused an estimated $35 billion in damages.
