Pakistan: Flash floods kill 11 amid heavy rain warning – DW – 06/28/2025
Pakistan's meterological department has said there is a risk of severe rainfall and more flash floods up until Tuesday.
Flash floods in Pakistan's northwest mountanious province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 11 people, including four children, the country's disaster management officials said.
"In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people — including four children and three women — while six others have been injured," the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a report released late Friday.
One person was killed in the Malakand district while the 10 others were killed in the Swat Valley, according to the report.
Local media reported that families had been swept away and that the flooding had damaged 56 houses along the Swat river.
Pakistan's local daily newspaper reported that rescue operations were underway in several other districts with people trapped in the water.
Meanwhile the national meterological department warned of heavy rainfall and a possibility of more flash floods until Tuesday.
Pakistan is among the world's more vulnerable countries to the effect of climate change with an increasing frequency of flash floods and other climate-related events impacting its 240 million inhabitants.
In May, some 24 people were killed in severe storms in Pakistan. In August 2022, a third of the country was flooded due to unprecedented monsoon rainfall with more than 33 million people affected. Scientists from across the globe have since said that the climate crisis was to blame and that rising global temperatures will only make monsoons more intense in future.
Pakistan's former climate change minister Sherry Rehman took to X, saying that the nation continued to "sleepwalk" on climate change and the threat it posed.
She pointed to regular alerts issued by the national disaster management agency and said that local authorities had failed to take them seriously.
"Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back burner, or that crises will not multiply in scale and intensity," she wrote.
"These are not "natural disasters" which absolve all actors of responsibility, local, national and global. Super monsoons and flash floods are not the norm. They have been intensifying for decades," she added, urging the country to "wake up" the to the issue.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
9 hours ago
- DW
Pakistan: Flash floods kill 11 amid heavy rain warning – DW – 06/28/2025
Pakistan's meterological department has said there is a risk of severe rainfall and more flash floods up until Tuesday. Flash floods in Pakistan's northwest mountanious province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 11 people, including four children, the country's disaster management officials said. "In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people — including four children and three women — while six others have been injured," the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a report released late Friday. One person was killed in the Malakand district while the 10 others were killed in the Swat Valley, according to the report. Local media reported that families had been swept away and that the flooding had damaged 56 houses along the Swat river. Pakistan's local daily newspaper reported that rescue operations were underway in several other districts with people trapped in the water. Meanwhile the national meterological department warned of heavy rainfall and a possibility of more flash floods until Tuesday. Pakistan is among the world's more vulnerable countries to the effect of climate change with an increasing frequency of flash floods and other climate-related events impacting its 240 million inhabitants. In May, some 24 people were killed in severe storms in Pakistan. In August 2022, a third of the country was flooded due to unprecedented monsoon rainfall with more than 33 million people affected. Scientists from across the globe have since said that the climate crisis was to blame and that rising global temperatures will only make monsoons more intense in future. Pakistan's former climate change minister Sherry Rehman took to X, saying that the nation continued to "sleepwalk" on climate change and the threat it posed. She pointed to regular alerts issued by the national disaster management agency and said that local authorities had failed to take them seriously. "Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back burner, or that crises will not multiply in scale and intensity," she wrote. "These are not "natural disasters" which absolve all actors of responsibility, local, national and global. Super monsoons and flash floods are not the norm. They have been intensifying for decades," she added, urging the country to "wake up" the to the issue. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Greece: Wildfire erupts near Athens amid heat wave – DW – 06/26/2025
Greece is experiencing its first heat wave of the summer. A large wildfire broke out south of Athens, prompting evacuations as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius. Greek firefighters on Thursday battled a fast-moving wildfire that burned holiday homes and forest land near the coastal town of Palaia Fokaia, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Athens. "Right now, strong land and air forces are fighting a huge battle against the flames, mainly among homes," fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. He added that 12 water-dropping planes and 12 helicopters were providing air support to 80 fire engines and 130 firefighters, who were backed up by volunteer firefighters. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but authorities say that high temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds are fueling its rapid spread. A fire department spokesman said an arson investigation unit had been sent to the area. According to a report by Greek broadcaster ERTnews, several vacation homes have been destroyed, and a large area of scrubland and forest is currently ablaze. The civil protection agency sent out emergency text alerts, telling residents to leave the affected coastal area near Palaia Fokaia. Vathrakogiannis said that Greek police had moved 40 people to safety. Meanwhile, the coast guard reported that two patrol boats and nine private vessels were on standby in the area in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities also reported that ambulances were on standby, though none had been needed by Thursday afternoon. According to Greek radio, police rescued 11 tourists from a holiday home in the danger zone. The fire department stated that the hotel complexes were not in immediate danger. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Wildfires are common in Greece during its hot, dry summers. Authorities said the risk of wildfires would remain high Friday before the weather cooled down. The civil protection agency warned that small fires can transform into major blazes in a matter of minutes due to extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds. Due to the weather conditions, the entire wider Athens area, as well as several Aegean islands, were on Level 4 of a 5-level scale for wildfire danger. Earlier this week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to bring a major wildfire under control on the eastern Aegean island of Chios.
DW
2 days ago
- DW
How heat officers help sweltering cities stay cool – DW – 06/24/2025
As the planet warms and deadly heat waves worsen, newly appointed "heat sheriffs" are building city resilience through urban greening and the creation of cool zones. That saves lives and helps urban regions to adapt. International cities from Athens to Dhaka, Freetown and Santiago are united in their efforts to protect residents from extreme heat. Vital to this strategy is the appointment of a chief heat officer, someone who, like a fire department chief, can rapidly respond to emergencies — in this case heat waves. Heat officers also help authorities to analyze local conditions, draw up plans and implement protective measures, including longer term solutions such as installing heat-repellent sidewalks or roofs. Reforestation of urban areas is an important city cooling strategy being employed by heat officers in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for example. A smartphone app enables residents to get paid to nurture the city's trees and green spaces. The concept of a chief heat officer was initiated in 2021 by the Atlantic Council, a US think tank. It acknowledged that extreme heat could impact around 3.5 billion people by 2050 — with half of those effected in urban centers. In response, the council wanted to create a permanent heat officer role to make cities more climate resilient. Cities need to be constantly prepared to adapt to extreme heat, and not only act in times of crisis, said Eleni Myrivili, the global chief heat officer at the Atlantic Council's Climate Resilience Center. "Usually those types of issues are dealt with only when there is a big event, so when there is a heat wave or a fire or a drought and it's dealt with, like a crisis, and then nobody does anything after that," said Myrivili, who was the chief heat officer for Athens, Greece from 2021 to 2023. She said it's important to "try to help the different departments put in long-term plans that have to do with creating cooler cities." Heat resilience must be incorporated into planning for streets, squares, sidewalks and buildings, though such comprehensive planning is the most difficult part of the job. "I can't say that I succeeded with that," Myrivili admitted, adding that she has "been very successful in changing the culture in Athens." She said people now understand that heat poses a significant risk to their health and to that of the city in general, its economy and its society. "So I think that there has been a shift." From the US and Kenya to European cities such as London, Geneva and Paris, there are now many heat officers around the world, or corresponding concepts in the planning stage. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Myrivili said countries are becoming more proactive, with India passing a law that requires every state to appoint a heat officer. This will be vital, she said, as the duration of heat waves increase globally. Between May 2024 and May 2025, around 4 billion people — around half of the world's population — experienced at least 30 additional days of extreme heat, according to analysis by World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross. Compared to a world without human-caused climate change, global heating has at least doubled the number of extreme heat days in 195 out of 247 countries and regions surveyed. Meanwhile, a World Health Organization (WHO) report estimates that some 500,000 deaths a year worldwide are linked to extreme heat. Most of those affected live in Asia, followed by Europe, where the number of extreme heat days — especially in the southeast — was the second highest since records began. At the same time in many countries, there are more and more elderly people, a group at bigger risk from extreme heat. "Every additional fraction of a degree of temperature rise matters because it accentuates the risks to our lives, to economies and to the planet," explained Celeste Saulo, the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, at the presentation of a report on the state of the climate in Europe in April. Due to extreme temperatures, the city of Phoenix in the US state of Arizona has now set up a team of six people to exclusively focus on extreme heat resilience. For the second year in a row, an emergency heat shelter, several cooling centers and drinking stations will be open around the clock during the summer months. Barcelona in Spain is also using public buildings such as museums and libraries as designated areas to stay cool and rest. In Germany, cities such as Cologne and Freiburg have drawn up the first heat action plans. Initial measures have been implemented, including information campaigns, strategies to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, early warning systems and the greening of city "hot spots." Freiburg, for example, focuses on greenery as a cooling method, as well as on quick access to shade. Last year, the city of Cologne expanded sun protection elements like shutters on buildings and other infrastructure. And the Protestant Church in Germany, a federation of various protestant denominations, recently announced that it would be making cool church buildings available as shelters throughout the country in summer. But Germany is lagging behind in terms of a comprehensive heat protection strategy. Heat is the greatest health risk in Germany due to the climate crisis, and is responsible for more deaths than traffic accidents, noted Martin Herrmann, chairman of the German Alliance on Climate Change and Health. "We as a society do not understood when it becomes dangerous, nor how dangerous it becomes," he said at a press conference in Berlin in early June. Heat waves are becoming "more frequent, longer and more intense," noted Klaus Reinhardt, the president of the German Medical Association. Society must prepared, he added. "Heat affects everyone, regardless of age and preexisting conditions." The Federal Institute of Public Health in Germany recently launched a new online portal providing practical tips on how to deal with extreme heat in everyday life. These include avoiding the hot midday sun, checking medication for heat tolerance and only ventilating indoor rooms when it is cooler outside than inside. Herrmann said heat resilience is often not considered in plans for climate-friendly housing, and needs to be incorporated into civic infrastructure on a broad scale. Eleni Myrivili also emphasized the need for solutions to be implemented quickly as temperatures continue to rise. "The heat we are experiencing today is nothing compared to what we are facing," she said. "It will be much more dangerous and people are not aware of it."e.
