Description
From April 10th to April 15th, the National Weather Forecasting Center in Islamabad predicts a series of weather events in various regions of Pakistan. This includes rain, wind, and thunderstorms with intermittent breaks. On April 10th, a westerly wave is expected to enter the upper regions, followed by another potent wave on April 12th affecting most areas until April 15th.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regions such as Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, and others will experience these weather conditions during this period, with occasional breaks. Similar conditions are anticipated in Waziristan, Kohat, Peshawar, and surrounding areas from April 12th onwards.
Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir should prepare for rain, wind, and thunderstorms (with snowfall in high mountains) from April 10th to April 15th, with breaks in between. Punjab, including Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Murree, and other areas, will also experience these conditions, particularly from April 12th onwards, with isolated windstorms and hailstorms expected from April 13th to April 15th.
Numerous casualties were reported due to severe weather conditions across three provinces, marking a grim situation in the affected areas:
Continuous heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorms resulted in an additional 12 fatalities on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to at least 39 individuals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Balochistan over recent days.
In Balochistan, Makran and surrounding areas witnessed ongoing rainfall, contributing to the province's death toll reaching 10 after two more casualties were reported from Kech district due to a lightning strike and a roof collapse incident on Sunday. Coastal towns like Pasni, Kech, and Panjgur districts, as well as Gwadar, faced substantial damages to infrastructure and transportation networks, causing restricted access from Quetta and other districts.
Power supply disruptions were severe, with uprooted electric pylons in Pasni and Panjgur leading to prolonged outages in Quetta and nearby regions. Gas supply issues and low pressure were also noted in various parts of the provincial capital and other cities.
Normal life and traffic were significantly impacted across approximately 25 districts of Balochistan, with incessant rains causing extensive damage to houses and roads, particularly in Pasni and Kech district where mud houses collapsed and link roads were washed away.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported five injuries from lightning strikes and assured the provision of medical care to the injured while planning financial assistance for the families of the deceased.
In Punjab, the death toll from lightning strikes rose to 21, with additional casualties reported from various districts, including Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalpur.
Karachi also faced rain-related incidents, including traffic accidents resulting in six deaths, alongside concerns over lightning strikes and power outages. Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz highlighted the increased risk of tornadoes and lightning due to a combination of sea breeze and cold winds.
Despite the weather system losing intensity, light rains were anticipated early on Monday, with Surjani Town recording the highest rainfall of 29 millimeters, followed by other areas like Nazimabad, Gulshan-i-Hadeed, and Keamari receiving significant amounts of rainfall.