Life came to a standstill in Balochistan amid torrential rainfall in different areas of the province, particularly in Chagai.
Heavy falls have caused flash flooding in local nullahs/riverines of Balochistan and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan and trigger landslides in Malakand, Hazara, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir during the period.
Moreover, rains have weakened many mud houses in Qilla Saifullah. The weather of Quetta turned chilly post snowfall.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted rainfall in Karachi as cloudy weather prevails in the port city. The city could also receive showers today (Sunday).
The wet spell may persist in upper parts.
After widespread rainfall at Qilla Abdullah, Gulistan, Jangal Pir, Alizai and Dobandi in Balochistan, a flow of floodwaters entered Qilla Abdullah Bazaar causing collapse of several mud walls as people started shifting to safer places. According to reports, a number of people have been trapped in floodwaters in Qillah Abdullah.
PMD predicts rainfall in Karachi today (Sunday)
The floodwater has also started entering shops, houses and offices in the area. The people of the area have appealed for helicopters for rescue and relief operations in the locality.
The MET office had forecast widespread rain with thunderstorm accompanied by windstorm in Quetta, Zhob, Kalat and Makran, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan divisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday.
The weather department had said that heavy falls may cause flash flooding in local nullahs and riverines of Balochistan as well as hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan and trigger landslides in Malakand, Hazara, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir during the period.
The met office also predicted widespread rain with thunderstorm accompanied by windstorm in Quetta, Zhob, Kalat and Makran divisions in Balochistan, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha divisions in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir and GB on Saturday, while at scattered places in Sibbi, Naseerabad, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore and Faisalabad and at isolated places in Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Mirpurkhas and Karachi.
Widespread rain thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills occurred in Balochistan.
Published in Daily Times, March 3rd 2019.
