RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, creating a slushy mess in the low-lying areas, while residents felt a pleasant change after the warm weather.
The rain started in the afternoon and continued for an hour. After the brief spell, the sun overpowered the heavily overcast sky.
The Meteorological Department recorded 24mm of rain at Zero Point and 1mm at Saidpur in Islamabad, and 16mm at Chaklala, 2mm at Katcheri, 1mm at Pirwadhai and 38mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.
It forecast more rain and cool winds sweeping the northern parts of the country, including the Potohar region, during the next 24 hours.
According to a Met official, monsoon currents are penetrating most parts of the country. A westerly wave is also affecting the upper and central parts of the country.
He said that rain, wind, and thundershowers are expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. Heavy falls are also likely at isolated places in Kashmir, northeast Punjab and Islamabad.
According to a weather advisory issued by the Met Office, from July 8 to 10, heavy to very heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams of Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Landslides and mudslides may cause road closures in the vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir during the wet spell.
Heavy downpours may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar.
The public has been advised to take precautionary measures during the weather activity.
Following Tuesday’s rain, waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas of the garrison city. However, the water level in Leh Nullah remained low. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and other civic bodies remained alert to deal with any untoward situation.
When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said that the water level remained low in the nullah. He said that water accumulated in some areas of the city but was drained out soon after the rain stopped.
He said that the city was divided into four sectors and flood response units had been deployed to drain out water from different areas. He added that the teams reached the sites and drained the water from the affected areas.
Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025