Within a mere 10 hours, the city was inundated with an astonishing 290mm of rainfall, causing widespread chaos and devastation, while local authorities and meteorological departments warn of potential urban flooding and landslides in the region.
A historic deluge of heavy rain has shattered a three-decade-old record in Lahore, the provincial capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 11 lives, according to local media reports. Over the course of just 10 hours on Wednesday, Lahore received an astonishing 290mm of rain, causing widespread chaos and devastation.
Commissioner Lahore Mohammad Ali Randhawa disclosed that the city experienced 291mm of rainfall during this period, with more than a dozen areas witnessing rainfall exceeding 200mm. Remarkably, Lahore has not encountered such intense rainfall within such a short span of time in the past 30 years. Climate change has been cited as a potential factor contributing to these unusually heavy rains, Randhawa noted.
Tragically, the heavy downpour led to multiple incidents, including roof and wall collapses, resulting in the loss of lives. On Thursday, four individuals, including three children under the age of 10, lost their lives in such incidents, while 15 others sustained injuries, as reported by the Dawn newspaper. The previous day, seven fatalities were recorded, including three electrocutions, three deaths caused by roof collapses, and one child drowning due to the accumulation of rainwater, as PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain anticipated from July 6 to 8, which could lead to urban flooding and trigger landslides in various regions across the country. The warning specifically highlighted the likelihood of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Multan, and Dera Ismail Khan. Moreover, it cautioned about potential landslides in vulnerable areas such as Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and hilly regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Adding to the concerns, the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) issued an additional warning on Thursday, stating that heavy rainfall could result in a "very high to exceptionally high level" of flooding in the River Chenab between July 8 and 10. The FFD also noted that the flood situation in rivers Ravi and Sutlej would depend on the water releases from India.
The monsoon season in Pakistan typically spans from July to September, and last year's catastrophic floods wreaked havoc, submerging a significant portion of the country, with the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan being severely affected. The devastating floods claimed the lives of more than 1,200 individuals and left millions without food and shelter.