ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR - Heavy hailstorms and rain battered parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalpindi and Islamabad causing damage to vehicles, windscreens, and solar panels on Wednesday.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of more heavy rains in Attock, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Reports said a vehicle was swept away in a flood in Landi Kotal and many others were damaged.
A sudden spell of rain and hailstorm lashed Islamabad, prompting immediate response from the district ad-ministration. According to officials, teams were deployed across the city to manage the situation and in-spect vulnerable areas. Islamabad received heavy rainfall and hailstorm disrupting daily activities in several parts of the capital.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the windows of vehicles were broken due to hailstorm, and the windows of houses also were broken. In Rawalpindi, the heat wave spell was broken as 9mm of rain was recorded in Golra and 2mm in Bogra. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman termed the rainfall scenes caught as being “insane”, and that hail was “coming down like pellets”.
The Meteorological Department has forecast rain in several parts of the country, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad.
According to the department, intermittent rainfall is expected to begin in most districts of Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa from Wednesday evening and continue until Sunday, April 20. Thunderstorms accompanied by rain are likely in the northern, central, and southern districts of the province.
In anticipation of any untoward incidents due to the weather, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert to all district administrations. All relevant departments have been instructed to remain vigilant and ensure the restoration of road links in case of emergencies. In the event of road clo-sures, alternative routes should be provided for traffic.
The PDMA has also advised tourists to check the weather conditions and road status by contacting their helpline before heading to tourist destinations.
Rain is also expected in Islamabad, Punjab, Murree, Galiyat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir by April 20. Some areas may also experience hailstorms.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted that the ongoing heatwave will persist in parts of Sindh, South Punjab, and Balochistan until April 18.
On April 18 and 19, dust storms and strong winds are likely in several districts including Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Vehari, and Okara.
