- Flash floods likely in vulnerable northern valleys.
- Met Office advises residents to stay on alert.
- PMD forecast heavy rains in Punjab, KP on Ashura.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an urgent alert for potential Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a result of heatwave induced glacier melts.
According to the official alert issued by the PMD’s Research and Development Division in Islamabad, a sustained increase in temperatures, coupled with an approaching weather system, may result in flash floods in vulnerable northern valleys in the coming days.
This increased meltwater could result in the sudden bursting of glacial lakes, causing devastating GLOF events and flash floods in adjacent valleys and downstream communities, it said.
The PMD has particularly cautioned residents, local administrations, and relevant authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to stay on high alert, as the situation may escalate during the current and upcoming week.
Given the threat, the PMD has advised all concerned departments and emergency response teams to remain vigilant and to take preventive measures to mitigate the risk of any untoward incidents.
In a separate advisory, the weather department has forecast heavy rainfall in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera, and Peshawar on 10th Muharram.
The Met Office has also issued a warning for possible urban flooding in low-lying areas of Punjab cities due to the intensity of the expected rainfall.
In contrast, most parts of Sindh and Balochistan are expected to remain hot and humid, read the advisory.
However, light rain or drizzle may occur in Karachi and Hyderabad, particularly during morning and night.
