ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of the possibility of severe weather conditions continuing until April 29 in a nationwide advisory that was released on Friday. Rain, storms, and hail are expected nationwide, leading to potential flash floods and landslides that can damage infrastructure and agriculture. People should refrain from traveling needlessly and from crossing canals and rivers. To protect yourself from lightning, the NDMA advised residents to fix mud houses and make sure water drains properly. It urged farmers to consider the weather when planning their harvest, particularly for wheat.
The warning is issued when crops, particularly wheat, are ready to be harvested. In the Potohar region, extended periods of precipitation have already postponed the wheat harvest. Local farmers are dissatisfied with the doubled harvest expenses that resulted from rising gasoline costs. Farmers were concerned that the untimely rains would reduce the output, even though the harvest had started in some areas of the plateau. They are also concerned about the rising expenses of manpower, agricultural machinery, and electricity.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), a westerly wave has already begun, and it may worsen conditions through April 30. Widespread rainfall and thunderstorms are predicted as a result of this system, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Galiyat, Murree, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir being most affected. Road interruptions, especially for travelers and tourists, are a possibility due to the predicted heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, according to the PMD. Before leaving for travel, people have been advised by authorities to check the latest weather reports. It was also expected that there would be disruptions to other utilities like power. Heavy rainfall alone could not eliminate all potential hazards in upper KP, Galiyat, Murree, GB, and AJK. These included flash flooding in nearby streams and river tributaries, as well as mudslides and landslides. The advice given to farmers is to use further caution and modify their farming practices accordingly.
The PMD issued a warning that unfavorable weather, including copious amounts of rainfall, would persist in Balochistan, posing a threat to hill torrents in the Kirthar and Sulaiman mountain ranges and flash floods in neighborhood nullahs. Flash floods were caused by the recent period of intense rain and thunderstorms that began in Balochistan on Thursday and continued on Friday. A mother and her daughter suffered injuries after a lightning strike at their home in the border town of Taftan, while a man was carried away by the flash flood. In Balochistan, occurrences involving rain resulted in 19 fatalities, 250 destroyed homes, and 1,850 partially damaged homes. Authorities said that the flash floods severely damaged 14 highways and connection roads, causing transportation to be interrupted between Balochistan and neighboring provinces.
