ISLAMABAD, Jul 20 (APP): The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a forecast of more monsoon spells from July to September in Pakistan.
Talking to APP here on Thursday Director of PMD, Zaheer Ahmad Babar said that urban flooding due to torrential rains is expected during the extended moon soon season and urged disaster risk management institutions to adopt comprehensive strategies to safeguard human lives.
Zaheer provided a detailed roundup on the current monsoon spells and said that monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate the upper and central parts of the country starting from Tuesday which would be intensifying on July 19. “These spells will cause widespread rains across the nation”, he added.
He highlighted that the latest advisory from PMD predicted rain/wind-thundershowers with heavy falls in various regions of Pakistan, including Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and many others from July 18 (night) to 23, with occasional gaps.
Addressing major concerns for Pakistan, Zaheer expressed the need to address altered patterns of river flows, melting glaciers, Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), and other intense climatic events, along with reduced water storage capacities in water reservoirs caused by siltation and sedimentation. He warned that these factors would lead,n to deteriorating water quality, decreasing wetland areas, and an impending water crisis.
Floods remain one of the major natural calamities in Pakistan, mainly caused by heavy concentrated rainfall over the upper catchments of the main rivers, he said adding that this unique flood-related problem poses significant challenges for the country.
With heavy rain expectations, Zaheer cautioned about potential urban flooding in low-lying areas of cities such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, and Lahore from July 18 (night) to 22. Moreover, he warned of possible landslides in vulnerable regions like Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during this period, advising tourists and travellers to exercise extra caution when heading towards northern areas, Galliyat, AJK, and GB.
He advised farmers to manage their activities based on the weather forecast, considering the potential impact of dust storms and wind thunderstorms on loose structures like electric poles and solar panels.
Regarding climate change, Zaheer said that global warming has led to increase in the average temperature of the earth, affecting ecological systems worldwide. He highlighted that the hydrological cycle, driven by solar radiation, has been affected, leading to extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.
Answering a question he said that no technique has been invented yet to predict earthquakes, and monitoring the situation and intensity remains the only available method during such occurrences.