Pakistan issues nationwide alert over fears of heavy rains, floods

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has entered what its disaster authority is calling a “critical” weather window. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued a nationwide alert, warning of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, urban flooding, and an elevated risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) across the country’s northern regions over the next 12 to 24 hours. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list The alert identified Hunza and Skardu areas in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region in the north and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest among the most vulnerable areas to a possible climate disaster. Authorities also warned of flooding in capital Islamabad, and other urban areas, including Rawalpindi and its adjoining areas. Provincial and district administrations have been placed on high alert and directed to keep their drainage systems clear. The warning came as Pakistan braces for a likely fourth consecutive year of punishing monsoon, which is expected to arrive later this month. Melting glaciers Last year, monsoon rains in Pakistan killed more than 1,000 people, including 275 children, and displaced three million from their homes. But it was the historic floods in 2022 – mainly caused by melting glaciers and submerging nearly a third of the country – that put Pakistan on a global climate crisis watch. …