PESHAWAR: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), has warned of a strong westerly weather system entering the country Tuesday evening, causing widespread rain with thunderstorm resulting in flash-floods and landslides in vulnerable zones. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has directed all district administrators to adopt precautionary measures as the country’s meteorological department forecast a three-day spell of torrential rains starting from Wednesday.

Around 28 people were left dead and dozens injured during the recent spell of heavy rains and thunderstorms in KP, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

According to the Met Office, districts of Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan,  Punjab and Islamabad falling under the weather system will receive heavy rains and snowfall on the hills.

Rain and wind-thunderstorm are also expected in Quetta, Zhob, Pishin, Harnai, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Panjgur, Ziarat, Kalat, Mastung districts of Balochistan province from Tuesday evening to Thursday, while in Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Shaheed Benazirabad in Sindh will receive heavy downpour on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, according to the weather department.

During this period, dust storm is also expected in lower Sindh including the port city of Karachi.

“The fresh rain spell may trigger flash floods and landslides in the upper region of the province,” Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Spokesman Latif-ur-Rehman told Arab News on Tuesday, adding that administrators across the province have been directed to use all necessary resources to avoid loss of lives and damage to properties. 

The expected downpour has already prompted the authority to direct top officers of all the districts to move heavy machinery to mountainous areas to deal with any emergency such as landslides, he added.

In addition, he said the officials concerned were directed to activate the temporary shelter homes to help people in the area.

Muhammad Usman Mehsud, deputy commissioner of Bajaur tribal district, told Arab News that his administration had put in place all necessary measures and deputed his staff in remote areas to coordinate with the central control room in case of an emergency.

“We have put in place a mechanism for swift coordination to deal with any disaster. We have setup a control room, which will work round-the-clock to coordinate with inaccessible and remote areas,” he added.

“The torrential rains and thunderstorm can play havoc with people’s lives and properties in the northern side of the province. All the departments are kept on a high alert to deal with any untoward incident effectively,” Rehman added.

“Tourists are advised to be careful while traveling to different parts of KP,” he said.