The Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) issued on Thursday a warning of heavy rains through Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and advised citizens to remain alert.
The rains of the monsoon fall throughout the region from June to September, offering a breath of summer heat and are crucial to replenish water supplies. However, strong holes also trigger mortal floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable areas, poorly drained or densely populated.
In a publication on X, the PMD said at 3:30 pm that a “weather system with rain” was forming in the areas of Poonch, Bagh, Haveli and Southnoti of Kashmir.
According to the post, the system is likely to cause “heavy rains with strong winds and thunderstorms” during the next 2-5 hours in the aforementioned areas, as well as the Muzaffrabad of Azad Kashmir, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bhimber, Mirpur and Neelum Valley.
Other areas that could be under the rain spell were Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur and Kohistan of KP, along with Murree, Garyat and its surroundings.
The PMD has advised the public to take precautions and stay updated.
At least 71 people have died, more than half of them children, and another 86 have been injured in rain -related incidents since the beginning of the Monzón season at the end of June, according to the latest figures of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of KP.
On Sunday, the number of deaths at the national level of the Monzón rains increased to 299, compared to 234, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
On Saturday, the PMD predicted more rain, with wind towers in the upper and central regions of the country during this week. The department asked the provincial disaster management authorities and the district administrations that take preventive measures against possible urban floods.
