Met Office issues outlook for Sept: ‘Downpours likely to trigger flash floods in Punjab, Kashmir, KP’

KARACHI: Albeit with a low probability, the weather is threatening to flood urban and rural parts of the country during September 2022, the Met Office said on Thursday.

In a weather outlook for September, it said that isolated heavy downpours may trigger flash floods in hilly areas of Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It said that the rainy weather is also expected to flood urban areas and plains in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “But the likelihood remains lower as per climatology of the forecast month,” the office pointed out.

Sufficient water for irrigation and power sector will be available, as rains may have a good impact on the growth and vegetation of Kharif crops during the month.

The country is expected to receive above normal rains. “Overall, a tendency for normal to above normal precipitation is likely over the country during September,” the Met Office said.

Above normal rainfall is expected in northeastern Punjab and Sindh. Most parts of Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan may see from normal to slightly above normal rains.

Gilgit-Baltistan and northern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are likely to witness a nearly normal rainfall, it said.

“Currently, La-Niña condition is prevailing and is likely to continue with weak intensity during September 2022, while the IOD condition is expected to remain in negative state,” the Met Office said.

It forecast scattered thunderstorms and rains with isolated heavy falls for the upper catchments of all the major rivers from Sept 4 to Sept 6. A medium- to high-intensity flood is likely to continue in the Indus downstream of Chashma, it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022