MUZAFFARABAD – Authorities in Bagh, Azad Kashmir, have announced the temporary closure of all educational institutions in view of a high flood alert issued by the Meteorological Department.
According to an official notification, both public and private schools across the region will remain closed on August 18 and 19, 2025.
The precautionary measure aims to ensure the safety of students and staff as the region braces for potential flooding due to ongoing and forecasted heavy rainfall.
The Met Office said districts including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur, and Bhimber are expected to receive heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in coming days.
These conditions may trigger landslides and flash flooding, particularly in hilly areas, it warned.
It further said heavy to very heavy rainfall/thunderstorms are expected in Islamabad over the next 24 hours with occasional gaps.
Meanwhile, most parts of Punjab will see widespread rainfall/thunderstorms. Districts in the Potohar and northeastern parts, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad, and Mandi Bahauddin, are expected to face heavy to very heavy rainfall, increasing the chances of urban flooding.
Central and southern districts such as Multan, D.G. Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Bhakkar, and Sahiwal will experience scattered thunderstorms, while Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan may experience isolated light rainfall.
The northern and upper districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, and Malakand, are lexpected to witness heavy spells, with flash floods and landslides possible in hilly terrain over the next 24 hours.
The Peshawar valley, covering Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, and Swabi, will see scattered thunderstorms, while southern KP districts such as D.I. Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, and Kohat can expect scattered rainfall/ thunderstorms with occasional heavyfalls.