RAWALPINDI: Rain, hail and strong winds hit the twin cities on Wednesday, bringing life to a virtual halt for the afternoon.

Heavy clouds turned the afternoon dark in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and the rainfall began at 2pm, continuing until night-time with short breaks.

Many people, especially those on motorcycles or waiting for public transport at shelter-less bus stops in the garrison city, were caught unawares.

The Met Office reported 10 millimetres of rainfall at Zero Point and in Saidpur, 7mm at the Islamabad International Airport, 6mm in Golra and Bokra and 5mm in Shamsabad and Chaklala. It has forecast more rainfall for another three to four days.

“A strong westerly wave is affecting most upper and central parts of the country and is likely to persist until Saturday,” meteorological department spokesperson Rashid Bilal said.

He said heavy rainfall is expected in Islamabad, KP, the Potohar region and Kashmir on Friday and Saturday.

Heavy rain may generate flash floods in Zhob, Musa Khel, Loralai, D.I. Khan, Bannu, Karak and Waziristan on Thursday and Friday and in Dir, Malakand, Swat, Peshawar, Mardan, Hazara and Kashmir on Friday and Saturday.

Mr Bilal said warnings have been issued to the concerned authorities to take precautionary measures. Pakistan Super League may be disrupted by the rain in Rawalpindi and Lahore, he added.

A press statement said there was a risk of land-sliding on the highways of Kashmir, Gilgit, Malakand, Dir and Hazara due to torrential rains while “extreme rainfall, hailstorm and wind-thunderstorm may threaten partial loss of wheat crop in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Punjab.”

Although the rain lowered temperatures, it also inconvenienced road users, particularly pedestrians, because of flooding in the streets and roads of the downtown area. Faisal Avenue in Islamabad, where the construction of an underpass is ongoing, was also covered in mud.

Traffic came to a halt on Rawalpindi roads in many areas for several hours because vehicles broke down in the rain.

An official from the Water and Sanitation Agency said the water level in Leh Nullah was low, 6 feet at Kattarian and 4ft at Gawalmandi. He said the department was draining water that accumulated on main roads and removing obstacles to the flow of water.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2020