Heavy rain puts Rawalpindi and Islamabad on high alert

Heavy rain drenched Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday morning, causing flooding in low-lying regions and prompting the local authorities to declare a school holiday. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported that the Leh Nullah's water level surged to 29 feet in Kattarian and 23.5 feet in Gawalmandi. The district administration initiated evacuations along Kattarian and Gawalmandi after 200mm of rain was recorded in the Leh Nullah's catchment areas.

The PMD's data indicated that Saidpur experienced 104mm, Golra received 157mm, Bokra got 72mm, and the PMD site near H-8/2 encountered 155mm of rainfall. Kutchery saw 74mm, Shamsabad recorded 201mm, Pir Widhai received 86mm, and New Kattarian accumulated 186mm. The deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi advised citizens to steer clear of unnecessary travel, while the Islamabad deputy commissioner, Irfan Nawaz Memon, reported that 150mm of rain in the capital, especially in E-11, led to overflowing drains and water accumulation on roads.

He confirmed that dewatering efforts were underway and a wall collapse in D12 had occurred, though no fatalities were reported. Islamabad traffic police issued an advisory, recommending motorists to allot extra travel time, decrease speed, and maintain safe distances from other vehicles due to potential traffic disruptions. They also suggested using fog lights in low visibility and remaining in designated lanes.

The rainfall had also hit the twin cities on Monday afternoon, disrupting daily routines and inundating low-lying areas. The Met Office had forecasted further rain in the country's upper regions until September 5, warning of possible urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, and Lahore during that period.