LAHORE: Many cities in the country on Thursday received rain and the Met department warned of a week-long spell of rains, heavy to very heavy at places, from Friday (today) that may cause urban flooding and landsliding in the affected areas.

In its latest forecast, the Met department says moderate monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea, which are continuously penetrating northeastern parts, are likely to strengthen in upper parts of the country from Friday evening/night.

A fresh westerly wave is also expected to enter upper parts of the country on Sunday.

Due to this, widespread rain/thundershower (few moderate to heavy falls) with windstorm is expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawal­pindi, Sargodha, Gujran­wala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Mala­kand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat and Bannu divisions from Friday evening/night to Thursday.

Rain, dust storm and thundershower are expected at isolated places in Zhob, Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal divisions from Sunday evening/night to Thursday.

Heavy-to-very heavy falls are also expected at isolated places in Hazara, Rawal­pindi, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions, Islamabad and Kashmir during the period.

Heavy falls may trigger flash flooding in local nullahs/riverine areas of Hazara, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan divisions and Kashmir, and landslides in Hazara division and Kashmir. Possi­bility of urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisal­abad, Rawalpindi divisions cannot be ruled out during the period.

The Met department warned all the authorities concerned to remain alert and take precautionary measures during the forecast period.

The department’s Lahore-based Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) said rainfall of moderate to heavy intensity with one or two very heavy falls was likely over the upper catchments of all the major rivers, along with Rawal­pindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisal­abad and Sargodha divisions and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Moderate rainfall with one or two heavy falls is also expected over D.G. Khan division, along with northeast Balochistan.

The FFD expected low-to-medium flooding in the nullahs of Ravi and Chenab rivers, along with hill torrents in D.G. Khan division. Sharp peaks of high flood are expected upstream Mangla.

It said on Thursday that the Kabul river at Nowshera was in medium flood and all the other major rivers are flowing below low flood level.

Meanwhile, rain that was heavy in downtown Lahore inundated low-lying areas. But despite the inconvenience caused by it, the downpour rid people of extremely muggy weather they had been braving for the last two to three days.

In Lahore, the Met department recorded 24mm of rain at the airport, 25mm at its Jail Road observatory, 51mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 42mm at Upper Mall, 37mm at Tajpura, 35mm at Shahdara, 32mm at the Fort and 30mm at Masri Shah.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2019