LAHORE: On Wednesday, a “record-breaking” downpour that lasted for several hours in the city disrupted daily life by flooding low-lying areas and the city’s streets.
According to Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, 272 mm of rain fell in Lahore in just nine hours, causing urban flooding and overflowing canals. “To clear the air, the entire cabinet and administration are on the scene. The chief minister visited the city to oversee relief efforts and stated, “I am also monitoring the situation in the field and getting updates from all over Lahore continuously.
According to Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the city’s Lakhsmi Chowk area received 259mm of rain, Nishter Town 258mm, Gulshan-e-Ravi 251mm, Johar Town 250mm, Qurtaba Chowk 241mm, Tajpura 238mm, Pana Wala Talab 222mm and Iqbal Town 221mm.
The rain spell, which started earlier in the morning, paralysed the city as all the major roads and connecting streets were waterlogged making commuting impossible. Many vehicles broke down on the roads due to knee-deep water.
Rainwater entered the houses in low-lying areas of Shah Jamal and Tajpura while the electricity supply was cut, making life more miserable.
Last week, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate in upper parts of the country, and a westerly wave was also likely to enter the upper parts of the country on Monday, causing heavy rainfall from July 4 to 7 across the country.
At least three people died in rain-related incidents in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report, two people died in Shangla, and one in Karak.
The PDMA said eight people were injured, while seven houses sustained partial damage. One house was completely damaged.
An official of the KP relief department said that relief would be given to the victims as per the government policy.
According to the latest meteorological analysis, deep trough of the westerly wave along with strong incursion of monsoon currents from both sources and approaching upper air circulation, due to which widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls at scattered places is expected over the upper catchments of Rivers Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab and up to some extent over River Jhelum.
Due to these meteorological conditions, the advisory added, very high to exceptionally high-level flooding is expected in River Chenab.
It further said that the flood situation in rivers Ravi and Sutlej would depend upon releases from India and high to very high-level flooding is also expected in the nullahs of Rivers Ravi and Chenab.
