ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a high flood warning in the country’s rivers especially in Punjab.
Lahore, Sialkot, Hafizabad and Narowal are expected to receive heavy to very heavy showers over next two days, according to PMD, as a strong weather system from Central India will pass Lahore during Saturday evening to Monday afternoon.
Issuing a flood warning PMD said, “Under the influence if the aforementioned meteorological conditions, widespread thunderstorm with scattered and isolated heavy falls are expected to over the upper catchments of Rivers Indus, Jehlum along with Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha and Sahiwal Divisions.”
Moreover, “very high flood is expected from Sunday in River Chenab at Marala and downstream, River Jhelum at Mangla, River Ravi and Sutlej along with linked nullahs of Ravi and Chenab,” the PMD added.
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Every year, many cities and towns in Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about poor planning.
Pakistan’s monsoon season runs from July through September.
Rains also swell rivers during the monsoon season, causing floods that kill people and damage crops and infrastructure.
According to the daily FFC report on Saturday, water situation at reservoirs is persisting to decline where the actual river flows and reservoir elevations indicates that Tarbela Dam is at 1519.46 feet, 30.54 feet below its maximum conservation level (MAL) and Mangla reservoir at 70.45 feet below its MAL of 1242 feet which is 1171.55 feet. The present combined live storage of three reservoirs is 7.227 million acre feet (MAF) (52.83 per cent of the total storage capacity of 13.681 MAF).
According to Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), Lahore, yesterday’s trough of Westerly Wave over Northern Afghanistan today lies over Northeastern Afghanistan, whereas weak Seasonal Low continues to prevail over Northern Balochistan.
“Moist currents from Bay of Bengal are penetrating into Northeastern parts of Pakistan up to elevation of 10,000 feet”, the report said.
The report further added, “River Chenab is likely to attain Very High Flood stage at Marala and downstream area and Jhelum at Mangla including local nullahs (tributaries of Rivers Chenab and Ravi) may attain Very High Flood level during the next 24-48 hours”.
However, the report mentions that the scale of flood in Rivers Ravi and Sutlej at RIM stations or entry points in Pakistan depends upon releases from Indian Reservoirs.
