Punjab braces for more rain as monsoon spell expected to continue until July 13
In the last 24 hours, significant rainfall was recorded in several cities, including Khanewal (51mm), Rawalpindi (42mm), Sahiwal (44mm) and Murree (41mm), according to the PDMA spokesperson. Lahore received 23mm of rain, while Okara recorded 30mm, Mandi Bahauddin 27mm, Mangla 24mm and Toba Tek Singh 13mm.
'The monsoon spell is likely to persist across the province until July 13,' said Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of Punjab PDMA, in a statement.
'Severe rainfall is expected in several regions during the next 24 hours,' he added.
Kathia advised citizens to avoid swimming in rivers, canals and streams, warning that Punjab's government has imposed Section 144 to restrict public access to water bodies due to the risk of flooding and drowning.
'People should stay in safe areas during thunderstorms and avoid taking shelter in mud houses or dilapidated buildings,' he said. 'Drivers are urged to reduce speed during rainfall and maintain safe distances to avoid accidents.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan launches location-based SMS alerts to warn millions amid deadly monsoon floods
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a location-based SMS alert system to warn citizens in flood-prone areas of imminent weather threats, state media reported on Thursday, as the country grapples with deadly monsoon rains. The system, developed under the Disaster Early Warning System (DEW-3 – Monsoon), is a collaboration between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Jazz, Pakistan's largest digital telecom operator. It uses geo-fencing technology to deliver real-time alerts to millions of mobile users living in high-risk zones, enabling timely evacuations or precautionary action. The move comes as torrential rains continue to batter parts of Pakistan, with over 80 killed since the start of the monsoon season in June. Over 23 million Jazz subscribers live in areas identified by the NDMA as vulnerable to flooding and other climate-related disasters. 'This is a powerful demonstration of how public-private collaboration can leverage technology to protect lives and strengthen communities,' Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz, was quoted as saying in the APP statement. 'Our [Jazz] nationwide reach and location-based capabilities make us uniquely positioned to support NDMA in its mission to minimize disaster-related risks. As the monsoon season continues, this remains an ongoing effort aimed at reaching and protecting even more people in harm's way.' According to APP, the system sends out targeted SMS alerts using advanced geo-fencing techniques to people located directly within affected areas. These messages include clear, actionable instructions to help the public respond effectively to natural disasters. NDMA acknowledged the partnership with Jazz, 'which has enabled them to reach vulnerable populations quickly and effectively, using geo-fenced alerts to ensure no one is left uninformed in times of crisis,' APP reported. The partnership was formalized in March 2025 to enhance Pakistan's disaster preparedness using digital infrastructure. The system is designed to be scalable and responsive as weather patterns shift or new emergency zones emerge. NDMA officials say the alerts are part of a wider effort to modernize disaster response by integrating digital tools and expanding risk communication channels. The authority also disseminates information through the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile app, social media, and mainstream news outlets. Pakistan has faced increasingly severe climate-related disasters in recent years, from catastrophic floods in 2022 to recurring heatwaves and droughts. The country ranks among the top ten nations most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, underscoring the urgent need for improved early warning and resilience systems.
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Climate change makes South Asia's monsoon season more prone to floods, landslides and heavy rains
Each year from June to September a series of heavy rains known as monsoons sweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country's farms, and replenishing its rivers. However, as global heat increases, the rain is becoming more erratic and intense, creating the conditions for deadly floods. Nearly 1,300 people died in India throughout 2024 due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds of rain-related deaths have already occurred this year in the South Asian region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Nepal. Climate experts say the high temperatures and heavy rain are also contributing to the melting of glaciers in the mountainous Himalayan region, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides. The South Asian region has traditionally had two monsoon seasons. One typically lasts from June to September, with rains moving southwest to northeast. The other, from roughly October to December, moves in the opposite direction. But with more planet-warming gases in the air, the rain now only loosely follows this pattern. This is because the warmer air can hold more moisture from the Indian Ocean, and that rain then tends to get dumped all at once. It means the monsoon is punctuated with intense flooding and dry spells rather than sustained rain throughout. 'We are witnessing a clear climatic shift in monsoon patterns across South Asia,' said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and author of several United Nations climate reports. Traditionally, people in India and neighboring countries excitedly awaited the monsoon rains, which would finally mean the end of summer heat. But attitudes are changing as disasters increase during the rainy seasons. 'The frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events are increasing, often overwhelming drainage infrastructure in urban areas and triggering flash floods,' Koll said. Higher temperatures and longer periods of drought are also making farming harder in South Asia, climate experts said. 'More than 60 percent of the people in South Asia are dependent on agriculture and almost all of them are dependent on monsoon rainfall,' said Finu Shreshta, a climate scientist at Kathmandu Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. A 2023 report by Shreshta's organization found that glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain ranges. The study found that at least 200 of the more than 2,000 glacial lakes in the region are at risk of overflowing, which can cause catastrophic damage downstream. Heavy monsoon rains can exacerbate the problem. 'A lot of the mountain areas tend to have more warming than the global average, resulting in more glaciers melting,' said Miriam Jackson, glaciologist at the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative. An October 2023 glacial lake overflow in the Indian state of Sikkim triggered flooding that killed 55 people and damaged bridges, buildings, and a hydropower dam that was under construction. 'Heavy rainfall and increasing heat are leading to snow and ice avalanches, rockfalls, and other events that can trigger the lakes to breach or overflow,' Shreshta said. 'Even small glacial lakes are now breaching and causing damage,' she said. Installing early warning systems and building in less risky areas can help reduce damage from heavy rains, climate experts say. 'If you know a flood is coming, then people can get to higher ground and there could be a sort of standard early warning system along a river that sends out a siren,' Jackson said, adding that social media and messaging applications can help people spread warnings to those downstream. Koll, the Pune-based scientist, said that rapid urbanization, shrinking floodplains, and loss of natural drainage also exacerbate damage from heavy rains. Koll said that most government response currently comes after disasters and there is a lack of long-term planning. 'In the future, monsoon extreme rains are projected to intensify further, in addition to sporadic water shortages. Hence, we need proactive long-term strategies that combine science, policy, and community engagement,' he said. Jackson said the biggest issue, however, is to try to reduce emissions of planet-heating gases because there are limits to adapting to extreme weather. 'If we continue with, you know, business as usual and we have the same kind of emissions, then the world is going to keep on getting warmer and there will be more intense rain and floods. At some point, we could go beyond the limits of adaptation,' she said.
Al Arabiya
16 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
A deadly 1987 flood scarred the same Texas county that is reeling through another disaster
Cindy Manley was a summer camp counselor in 1987 when a different devastating flood scarred the Texas Hill Country. The Heart O the Hills camp is on the Guadalupe River where a massive search continues for more than 160 people who are believed to still be missing after catastrophic flooding over the July Fourth holiday. Decades earlier, Manley said there was an informal system in place when the river started rising: camps upstream would call down a warning and then get kids out of their bunks and to higher ground. During the flood of 1987, Manley recalled a floating canoe injuring camp director Jane Ragsdale. But Ragsdale, 68, was among the more than 100 victims who died in the flooding that began July 4, many of them in Kerr County. 'This water, it did something different,' Manley said. 'Jane knows floods more than anybody else. There's no way she would have been sitting in her house if she had thought this was dangerous.' It is at least the fifth time in the last century that flooding near the Guadalupe River has turned deadly. The area, which is known locally as Flash Flood Alley, has hills that quickly gather water and funnel it into narrow river banks. Water rises fast, catching people by surprise. Here is a look at the river's deadly history of flooding. Frantic evacuations in 1987: This mid-July flood killed 10 teenagers and injured 33 others. Water overwhelmed the river and its tributaries, forcing hundreds to flee. At a Christian academy, buses evacuating children initially encountered modest flooding. While some vehicles turned around in time, a bus and van were stranded when the river rose rapidly. As the children were trying to leave the stranded buses to safety, a wall of water estimated to be as much as half a mile wide rushed upon the campers, according to a government report. 'It scattered the kids.' A bus with Seagoville Road Baptist Church on the side was pictured slammed against tangled trees at an angle and partly under water. A deadly morning flood in 1978: The amount of rain was extraordinary – 30 inches fell on parts of the Hill Country between Aug. 1 and 3. It killed 33 people. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the flooding that hit the Hill Country struck early in the morning, 'the worst possible time from the point of view of data collection, warning dissemination, and community reaction.' Heavy rains in the early 1990s: A large portion of the state flooded, killing at least 13 people and causing vast damage, especially to agriculture. Month after month of 1991 was wetter than normal. Then more than half of the state was hit with more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain over a six-day period ahead of Christmas. That caused flooding not only in the Guadalupe basin but created what officials called 'one of the most voluminous floods recorded in the history of the State of Texas.' Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kansas, and writer Albee Zhang contributed from Washington.
