Heavy downpour in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday morning inundated low-lying areas, prompting authorities to announce a holiday for educational institutions in the Punjab city and begin evacuations of residents along catchment areas of Leh Nullah.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the water level in Leh Nullah rose to 29 feet at Kattarian and 23.5 feet at Gawalmandi. Consequently, authorities have started evacuating residents living along the catchment areas.
Data issued by the Met Office showed areas of the twin cities receiving rainfall from 70mm to 190mm, with the downpour ongoing, with some gaps, as of 11 a.m.
In a posting on X, the Rawalpindi district administration announced a public holiday for educational institutions, while the city’s deputy commissioner urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. He claimed the garrison city had recorded 200mm of rain, the heaviest rainfall in three years. He said the Pakistan Army’s 111 Brigade was in contact with the district administration and would provide assistance if required.
Similarly, the Islamabad deputy commissioner said around 150mm of rain had fallen in the federal capital, causing drains to overflow and water to accumulate on the roads.
He assured residents authorities were striving to pump out water from basements and proceeding with rescue efforts, especially amidst reports of collapsing walls, though no casualties have been reported.
According to a Met Office advisory, the current spell of rain is expected to persist in the upper parts of the country until Sept. 5. In a notification, the PMD warned that heavy rains might cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore during the forecast period.