ISLAMABAD: Torrential monsoon rains have killed 215 people in Pakistan and injured 405 since July 1, the country’s top disaster management authority said this week, as the South Asian nation braces for more downpours. 

Heavy monsoon rains since July have triggered flash floods and landslides in many parts of the country, especially its most populous Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, which have reported the highest number of casualties. 

According to a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report released on Monday, Punjab has reported 86 deaths and 224 injuries from rain-related incidents since July 1. KP has reported 65 deaths and 112 injuries while Sindh has reported 37 deaths and 42 injuries in the same time period. Balochistan has reported 18 deaths and 10 injuries, Gilgit-Baltistan four deaths and one injury while Azad Kashmir has reported five deaths and 15 injuries since July 1. 

“Scattered thunderstorm rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls is expected over upper catchments of rivers Kabul, Jhelum and Indus along with Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Gujranwala,” the NDMA said in its situation report. 

It also predicted rainfall for Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Larkana, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Zhob Sibbi, Nasirabad, Loralai, Kalat and Makran divisions on Tuesday. 

The NDMA has directed authorities to alert emergency response teams and mobilize resources to ensure a “swift response” to any arising situations. It has also advised tourists to avoid traveling to northern areas susceptible to floods and landslides during the ongoing monsoon season. 

Pakistan is recognized as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change effects. 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 severe heat wave in May and June.

In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered flash floods in many parts of Pakistan, 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.