KARACHI: The Met Office on Wednesday issued a weather alert ahead of a strong monsoon spell set to sweep across the country from July 5 to 10, bringing widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, and the risk of flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage.
In its latest advisory, the Met said that monsoon currents have started entering the country and are expected to intensify in the coming days as a westerly weather system approaches the northern regions around July 6. The interaction between these systems is likely to generate heavy to very heavy rainfall in several areas, particularly in the north and northeast.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected to be widespread across Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan from July 5 to 10. Districts such as Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, and Mirpur are forecast to receive substantial rainfall. Further north, areas including Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, and Shigar may experience showers between July 6 and 10, with intervals of dry weather.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rainfall is likely in a wide range of districts, including Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Waziristan, Orakzai, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu, and Kurram.
Upper and central Punjab, as well as the federal capital Islamabad, is also expected to receive consistent rain and thunderstorms, with scattered heavy to very heavy falls. Areas likely to be affected include Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Okara, Kasur, Khushab, Sargodha, Bhakkar, and Mianwali.
In southern Punjab, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected between July 6 and 8 in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan, and Layyah.
North-eastern and southern parts of Balochistan may also see rainfall, particularly in Sherani, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Barkhan, Naseerabad, Kalat, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Awaran, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, and Kohlu. Rain and thunderstorms with isolated heavy showers are likely on the nights of July 3 and 4, and again between July 6 and 8.
In south-eastern Sindh, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms are expected in Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, and Karachi on July 3 and 4. While breaks in activity are likely, isolated heavy showers may occur in parts of lower Sindh.
The Met Office has also warned of possible flash floods in local streams and hill torrents, especially in Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, northeast Punjab, Dera Ghazi Khan, and parts of Balochistan, between July 5 and 8.
Urban flooding is also a concern in low-lying parts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera, and Peshawar, where rainfall is expected to be particularly intense.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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