Torrential monsoon rains break 44-year-old record in Lahore

Torrential rains in Lahore broke a record of at least 44 years on Thursday as the city witnessed a maximum rainfall of almost 360 millimetres within hours in the Airport area.

Mazhar Hussain, spokesperson for Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), confirmed to Dawn.com that the record for maximum rainfall in a day during monsoon was broken today.

The city was lashed by almost 360mm of rain in three hours, AFP quoted the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) as saying, breaking a previous record of 332mm over three hours in July 1980.

“This was record-breaking rainfall,” the agency’s deputy director Farooq Dar told AFP.

The PDMA has forecast the sixth spell of monsoon rains in Punjab from Thursday (today) to August 6. Most of the districts of south Punjab are likely to face strong winds and thundershowers during the period.

The PDMA spokesperson had noted that water levels in rivers, dams and streams were rising due to the monsoon rains. He had warned of moderate to high-level flooding in the river Jhelum at Mangla from Aug 1 to 4.

On Tuesday, a child and five women were killed and six others were injured due to heavy monsoon rains in various districts of Punjab.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division, Lahore’s airport area recorded 337mm of rain in 24 hours till 8am today. Meanwhile, Lahore’s city area saw 118mm of rainfall.

Senior Punjab minister Marriyum Aurangzeb supervised the drainage operations carried out by various authorities, a statement from the Punjab chief minister’s office said.

It added that the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Lahore West Management Authority and the district administration were collectively working to deal with the monsoon rains.

Aurangzeb said that as per the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the availability of water pumps and other necessary machinery had been ensured.

She further said that hospitals had been provided with medicines and vaccines for poisonous insect bites. “Continuous monitoring is being done,” Marriyum stated.

Rainfall data issued by the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) at 11:49am showed that the airport area received the highest amount of rain since the first spell of rain began at 4:45am.

Pani Wala Talab Bazar placed second with 319mm, with Nishter Town Director Office trailing at a close 312mm.

Other 12 areas — including Lakshmi Chowk, Farrukhabad, Johar Town, Iqbal Town and Upper Mall — recorded more than 200mm of rain during the same period.

2 dead, 7 injured in rain-related incidents

Meanwhile, a child and a man died while seven others were injured in three rain-related incidents across Lahore.

According to Rescue 1122 service, a minor girl was found dead while five others wounded were rescued from the rubble after the makeshift roof of a house near Bulleh Shah Interchange collapsed.

Separately, a man aged around 30 years died of electrocution near Nishat Colony, Rescue 1122 said.

In another incident, two men were injured when the wooden roof of their house, located near Shaukat Khanum Chowk, collapsed. While one of them was provided with first aid, the second was taken to Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital for treatment, the rescue service said.

Officials monitor situation as PDMA advises caution

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman visited the Wasa head office, where he was accompanied by Lahore Commissioner Zaid bin Maqsood and LDA Director General Tahir Farooq.

There, the officials were given a briefing by Wasa Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed on operations to drain rainwater, assuring them that “all systems are functioning at their full capacity”.

The Wasa official asserted that the entire city would be cleared of rainwater within hours of the rain halting. “The rain spell has been ongoing since the morning and Wasa’s drainage operation is continuing without interruption.”

The Punjab chief secretary also visited Lahore’s Services Hospital where he assessed the drainage operations, a statement issued by the Lahore Civil Secretariat said.

He visited various wards of the hospital, including the Emergency Ward, and ordered Wasa to install more pumps to drain the rainwater as soon as possible.

Separately, Wasa Vice-Chairman Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad visited various areas of the city today to assess the rain situation, a statement from his office said.

He visited multiple monsoon emergency camps, including those situated on the G.T. Road and at the University of Engineering and Technology.

The Wasa vice-chairman ordered that all roads be cleared of rainwater immediately and that machinery be made available to evacuate water from low-lying areas, while additional machinery be kept on standby if needed.

He further directed that all disposal stations be run at their full capacity and that staff be ready at all times to respond to emergency situations.

Meanwhile, the PDMA advised citizens to take precautionary measures, such as avoiding unnecessary travel, carrying a raincoat and an umbrella, and driving slowly while avoiding making sudden brakes and turns.

It further suggested that people avoid electricity wires and poles, unplug electrical appliances, not live in dilapidated buildings, and not allow children to take baths in accumulated rainwater in low-lying areas.

The authority also urged private and government offices to prioritise work-from-home arrangements.

In a statement issued by Punjab Rescue, Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer reiterated the above advice. He asserted that rescuers across the province were actively working to help those in need.