Lahore saw its heaviest rainfall in three decades on Friday, as stated by Muhammad Ghafran, the Managing Director of the Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) Lahore.
Last week’s heavy rains in Punjab ended a long period of extreme heat and humidity, offering much-needed relief as temperatures dropped and cool winds blew through the province.
Ghafran, speaking to a private news channel, mentioned that WASA staff were busy with drainage efforts across the city. He revealed that Tajpura experienced the highest rainfall at 315 mm.
Furthermore, Lakshmi Chowk received 101 mm of rain, while Mughalpura and Gulshan Ravi got 99 mm and 98 mm respectively. Paniwala Talab saw 71 mm, Cordoba Chowk 70 mm, and the airport area 59 mm.
Chowk Nakhuda recorded 88 mm, Iqbal Town 75 mm, Cordoba Chowk 70 mm again, and Samanabad 65 mm. Upper Mall reported 51 mm, Samanabad 49 mm, Gulberg 41 mm, Nishtar Town 40 mm, Jail Road 38 mm, and Farrukhabad 35 mm.
Tajpura had 315 mm of rain, surpassing last year’s highest of 291 mm at Lakshmi Chowk.
Despite efforts, rainwater caused significant issues in areas like Shah Jamal, Lakshmi Chowk, and Davis Road.
Ghafran assured that WASA and provincial officials were actively working to manage the situation, saying, “We are closely monitoring the drainage operation to minimize the impact on residents.”
On the other hand, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted more rain with possible thunderstorms and strong winds for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, north-east/central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and north-east Balochistan in the next 24 hours.
It predicted moderate to heavy rain in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Lahore Divisions.
But most of it cleaned within an hour. When I went to Juma there was no water on roads.