ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rainfall in various parts of the country on Saturday, including Sindh, South Punjab, Balochistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.
According to the Met Office, the current rain-bearing weather system has shifted toward South Punjab. Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall is likely in most parts of South Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Intermittent to moderate rain is expected today in Sindh, Southern Punjab, Balochistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir. Karachi is also bracing for moderate showers from today until Monday.
According to the Meteorological Department, the current rain-bearing system has shifted towards Southern Punjab, and this system is anticipated to bring moderate to light rainfall to most areas of Southern Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh over the next 24 to 48 hours.
The new strong weather system, entering on Sunday, is likely to bring heavy rainfall to Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Punjab, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan under its influence.
Meanwhile, severe rains have already wreaked havoc in various parts of Punjab. In Chakwal, 450 millimeters of rainfall led to the complete destruction of 32 roads, and flash floods swept away connecting bridges, leaving dozens of villages submerged.
Rescue operations are actively underway across the province following the torrential downpours. In Mandi Bahauddin, a family trapped in raging floodwaters was successfully rescued, and several individuals were moved to safer locations. In Sargodha, numerous families from over 40 villages situated along riverbanks have been relocated to secure areas.
Jhelum has been particularly hard hit, with 500 people stranded by floods moved to safety. Reconstruction efforts are ongoing on roads connecting dozens of villages, while four union councils have been severely affected by the heavy rains, displacing residents and leaving streets inundated. Local residents have moved their livestock to the Jhelum-Pind Dadan Khan road and are urgently appealing to the government to construct a dam on Nullah Behna, citing its absence as the cause of the recent floods in the vicinity of Jhelum.
"The scale of destruction in some areas is significant, and our teams are working tirelessly on rescue and relief efforts," a PDMA official stated. "We urge citizens to take all necessary precautions and cooperate with authorities during this challenging period."
The ongoing and anticipated rainfall underscore the urgent need for robust infrastructure and disaster preparedness to mitigate the impact of such extreme weather events on communities across Pakistan.
