PDMA Issues Flash Flood Warning in Punjab

The Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMA) of Punjab have issued urgent flash flood warnings in multiple cities, as heavy monsoon rains are anticipated from Monday to Thursday.

According to a notification posted by the PDMA Punjab on social media platform X, cities at high risk of flash floods include Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh, among others.

The alert highlighted that heavy downpours and windstorms could compromise the structural integrity of mud houses, electric poles, billboards, and solar panels. “Heavy [rain] falls may generate flash flooding in local nullahs and streams of Murree and Galliyat on July 23rd and 24th,” PDMA Punjab stated, adding that heavy rainfall could also cause urban flooding in the low-lying areas of Punjab on the same dates.

Additionally, monsoon rains are forecasted for the divisions of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, and Gujrat.

The PDMA advised travelers and tourists to exercise caution and plan their journeys according to weather conditions to avoid untoward incidents during the wet spell. Farmers were also urged to manage their activities in light of the weather forecast.

Authorities in Punjab have been instructed to establish an efficient communication system via phone calls, SMS, and announcements to ensure the timely dissemination of weather forecasts. Last week, heavy rains in Punjab resulted in the deaths of 12 people and caused injuries to 27 others, with 14 houses collapsing, according to a fact sheet issued by the provincial PDMA on July 13.

The director general of the PDMA Punjab, Irfan Khatia, said that the monsoon from July 22 to 25 could cause heavy rain with thunderstorms, particularly in the southern districts of Punjab on July 23 and 24. “The situation is being monitored 24/7 in the PDMA control room, and the water levels in rivers and dams are currently normal,” he said.