ISLAMABAD—Pakistan's annual monsoon season intensified on Wednesday as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned of widespread heavy rainfall across much of the country through the coming days, raising the risk of flash floods, urban flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
The PMD said strengthened monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, combined with a westerly weather system, were expected to produce rain, windstorms and thunderstorms across Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was forecast at scattered locations, while parts of northern and northeastern Balochistan and upper Sindh were also expected to receive rain.
Disaster management authorities urged provincial and local administrations to remain on alert, warning that intense downpours could trigger flash flooding in hill torrents and local streams, landslides in mountainous areas and waterlogging in low-lying urban centers. Authorities also cautioned that strong winds and lightning could damage vulnerable infrastructure and disrupt transportation.
The weather office advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel in flood-prone and mountainous regions during periods of heavy rain and encouraged the public to monitor official forecasts and emergency advisories. Provincial disaster management agencies said emergency response teams had been instructed to remain prepared for potential weather-related incidents.
Pakistan experiences its summer monsoon between June and September, with seasonal rains providing critical water supplies for agriculture and reservoirs while also posing recurring risks of flooding and landslides. In recent years, authorities have increased preparedness efforts following severe monsoon disasters that caused widespread damage to infrastructure, homes and farmland.
The latest PMD outlook indicated that widespread rainfall would continue through at least Thursday across northern and central Pakistan before gradually easing later in the week, although scattered showers and isolated heavy falls were expected to persist in several regions. Weather conditions in southern parts of the country were forecast to remain comparatively hot and humid, with only isolated rainfall expected in parts of Sindh.
No nationwide casualty figures linked to the latest monsoon spell had been officially reported as of Wednesday, and authorities said they would continue monitoring conditions as the weather system moved across the country.
