NDMA Issues Nationwide Alert for Widespread Rainfall Till Friday

Islamabad: NDMA has issued an alert for widespread rainfall across the country from today till Friday. According to Radio Pakistan, rain, including isolated heavy falls, is expected in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, and Punjab. This weather pattern may lead to rapid rises in river flows, flash flooding in hill torrents and seasonal streams, and urban flooding in vulnerable cities. The alert highlights the risk of flash flooding in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and certain areas of Balochistan. In Punjab, the risk is particularly significant for Mianwali district and the hill torrents of DG Khan and Rajanpur. Furthermore, the alert indicates a risk of urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Narowal districts of Punjab, as well as Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, and Mardan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per the latest river flow data included in the alert, high flood levels are expected in the Chenab River at Marala and medium levels in the Jhelum River upstream of Mangla. Medium to high flood levels are also anticipated in the associated nullahs of the Jhelum and Chenab basins. Additionally, the Ravi River at Balloki may reach a low flood level in the next 24-48 hours, while rising flows are expected in the Swat, Panjkora, and Chitral Rivers. Low to medium flood levels are also expected in the Kabul River and its associated tributaries.