ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that a new spell of monsoon would enter in August as the monsoon season had not subsided yet. The forecast stated that Sindh, South Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan would experience heavy rainfall.
A warning for urban flooding has been issued in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Jamshoro, Dadu, Hyderabad, Badin, and Thatta.
Heavy rainfall might cause flash flooding in Waziristan, Tank, Bannu, Karak, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Kohat, Jiwani, Pasni, Panjgut, Turbat, Awaran, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Kalat, Bolan, Sibbi, Sherani, Mosakhel, Kohlu, Barkhan, Loralai, Saifullah, and Qila.
Most areas of Punjab will remain under hot and humid weather, but rainfall is expected in Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Layyah, and Bhakkar. Landslide warning has been generated in Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
During the meeting of the Standing Committee on Climate Change of the Senate, the Met Department informed that more than normal rainfall would be recorded across Pakistan. National Disaster Management Authority was also present in the meeting. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman acknowledged that the overall infrastructure of the country was not prepared for the weather conditions that caused a severe humanitarian crisis.
She added that provincial governments were unable to provide relief and rescue despite warnings from the Met Department.
Secretary for Minister of Climate Change Asif Hyder Shah said that due to a lack of advanced equipment, the Met Department could not forecast weather in particular areas. The committee agreed it needed a National Action Plan and legislations to tackle the climate effects.