ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a weather alert forecasting widespread rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds across northern Pakistan over the next 24 hours, warning that heavy downpours could lead to flash flooding in several areas.
According to the Met Office, a fresh weather system is expected to grip Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, bringing gusty winds, dust storms, and intermittent showers. Higher mountain regions are also likely to receive snowfall, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Officials cautioned that intense rainfall may trigger flash floods in rain-fed streams and nullahs of Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Murree, Galiyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and parts of Kashmir. The department also warned that stormy conditions, including hailstorms, lightning, and strong winds, could damage weak infrastructure such as mud houses, billboards, solar panels, and electricity poles.
“The public, especially travelers and tourists, should remain alert and plan their journeys in line with the latest weather advisories,” the PMD said in its latest update, emphasizing the risk of landslides and slippery roads in hilly areas.
In Islamabad and surrounding regions, cloudy skies, scattered rain, and gusty winds are expected, with chances of heavy showers and hail in isolated spots.
Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, widespread rain and thunderstorms are forecast for several districts, including Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, and Malakand, with the possibility of hailstorms in some regions.
In Punjab, the PMD predicts rainfall and thunderstorms in a broad stretch of districts — from Rawalpindi and Lahore to Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan — with a few areas likely to receive heavy downpours and hail.
Meanwhile, most of Sindh is expected to remain hot and dry, though Umerkot, Tharparkar, and some coastal areas could see partly cloudy skies with light rain and thunder. In Balochistan, weather will mostly stay dry and warm except for cloudy conditions along the coastal belt.
Northern areas including Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are also expected to experience rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, with a chance of heavy rainfall and hail in certain locations.
During the past 24 hours, parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir already witnessed rain accompanied by thunder and strong winds, while the rest of the country remained largely hot and dry.
The PMD urged citizens to stay cautious, avoid unnecessary travel during storms, and follow official advisories as unstable weather conditions continue in northern Pakistan.
