Monsoon rains bring relief to Lahore, other Punjab cities

Lahore: The oppressive heat and humidity in Lahore and several other cities across Punjab turned pleasant after heavy rain and gusty winds swept through the region from Friday midnight into Saturday afternoon.

Lahore experienced its first significant rainfall late Friday night, which persisted with intervals until Saturday morning.

The downpour continued with additional showers in the afternoon. Key areas including Muslim Town, Model Town, Lakshmi Chowk, and Iqbal Town saw substantial rainfall.

The highest recorded rainfall was 60mm at Iqbal Town SDO office, followed by 54mm at Pani Wala Talab, 49mm in Johar Town, 41mm at Lakshmi Chowk, and 33mm at Qurtaba Chowk.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has forecasted that monsoon rains are likely to continue across Punjab until August 20. Despite the heavy downpour, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials successfully managed to clear most of the waterlogged areas in the city.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, more rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours in several districts of Punjab. The PDMA specifically highlighted Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Sahiwal as regions prone to further heavy showers.

These rains have heightened concerns about potential flooding in Punjab's rivers and streams. The PDMA spokesperson reported that while the Indus River is experiencing a low-level flood, there is a heightened risk of a high-level flood in the Chenab River within the next 24 hours, with water levels anticipated to rise between 200,000 and 250,000 cusecs.