At least 11 people were killed, and 15 others injured, across Pakistan on Sunday and early Monday, as severe thunderstorms hit the country ahead of the monsoon season.
In Punjab, per reports, 10 people including children were killed after being struck by lightning in Narowal, Pasrur, Sheikupura, and Sialkot. The province also reported seven injuries due to lightning strikes. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, one woman died and six other members of a family were injured after the roof of their house collapsed in Buner.
Heavy rainfall in Punjab capital Lahore left the city inundated, with several roads left impassable. There were also reports of power outages, as transformers overloaded, leaving several parts of the city in the dark. Heavy rainfall was likewise reported from Shabqadar, Swat, Charsadda, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Swabi, and North Waziristan in KP, while in Balochistan Shela Bagh, Toba Achakzai, Musa Khel, Ziarat Valley, Noshki, and Washuk experienced heavy falls, with some reports of urban flooding. Provincial capital Quetta reported heavy rain and hailstorms, causing damage to homes and infrastructure. Intermittent rainfall also continued in several cities of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad.
According to an advisory issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), severe weather conditions would likely prevail in most parts of the country until June 30. It has warned of rain/wind-thundershower, with few heavy falls, in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Chitral, Swat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh from June 24 through June 30.
Similarly, rain/wind-thundershower with isolated heavy falls has been predicted for Barkhan, Loralai, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob, Ziarat, Musakhel, Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Waziristan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, and Okara from June 26-29, and in Sukkur, Jacobabad and Larkana from June 27-28.
Stressing that these rains might cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, and Lahore, and landslides in vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, it has urged authorities concerned to “remain alert” and take necessary precautionary measures.