The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday forecast more monsoon rains for the upper parts of Pakistan from Aug. 13 through Aug. 16 due to the penetration of moderate monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and the likely entry of a westerly wave.
In an advisory, the Met Office said the prevailing weather conditions were expected to lead to rain/wind-thundershowers with “few moderate to heavy falls” in parts of Kashmir (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur); Gilgit-Baltistan (Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar); Murree; Galliyat; Islamabad; Rawalpindi; Attock; Chakwal; Jhelum; Mandi Bahauddin; Hafizabad; Gujranwala; Gujrat; Sialkot; Narowal; Lahore; Kasur; Sheikhupura; Chitral; Dir; Swat; Shangla; Buner; Mansehra; Kohistan; Abbottabad; Haripur; Peshawar; Mardan; Swabi; and Nowshera. These conditions, it said, would persist from the evening of Aug. 13 (Sunday) till Aug. 16 (Wednesday), with occasional gaps.
Monsoon rains with wind and thundershowers have also been forecast in Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Karak, Waziristan, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and Bhakkar from Aug. 14 through Aug. 16 with occasional gaps. Similarly, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Musa Khel, Barkhan, Zhob, Kalat and Khuzdar are likely to experience rains on Aug. 15-16.
In its advisory, the PMD warned that moderate to heavy falls might increase water flows in local nullahs/streams of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Manshera, Abbottabad, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad from Aug. 14-16. The rains might also cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Lahore on Aug. 14-15, with a potential for landslides in vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and hilly areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The Met Office has advised farmers to manage their activities keeping in view the weather forecast, and has encouraged tourists and travelers to remain extra cautious to avoid any untoward situation during the wet spell.