ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Meteorological Department warned on Sunday that currently “weak” monsoon currents penetrating the country are likely to intensify from next week, triggering more rains and flash floods, as the death toll from rain-related incidents since late June climbed to 299.
As per the Met Department’s latest press release, weak monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the country’s upper and central parts. It said these currents are likely to “intensify” from Aug. 4 and that a westerly wave is likely to strengthen from Aug. 5.
“Heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs/streams of Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, northeast Punjab and Kashmir from Aug. 5-7,” the PMD said.
Monsoon rains have killed 299 people in Pakistan since June 26, with Punjab reporting the highest number of deaths with 162 casualties, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 69, Sindh with 28, Balochistan with 20, Gilgit-Baltistan with 10, Islamabad with 8 and Azad Kashmir with 2.
As per the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest situation report, 715 people have been injured in total in rain-related incidents since June 26, with 239 of them children, 272 males and 204 females.
