Met Office predicts more showers in Punjab after storm kills 18

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a weather advisory, forecasting heavy rain, wind, and thunderstorms across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Islamabad from May 27 to May 31. This comes two days after a violent thunderstorm coupled with heavy rain claimed 18 lives in Punjab.

Moist currents are continuing to penetrate the upper and central regions of the country, increasing the likelihood of isolated heavy rains and hailstorms in areas such as Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Rawalpindi, Murree, Lahore, Faisalabad, and several others. In KPK, areas including Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, and Waziristan are expected to experience thunderstorms and rain, with occasional breaks.

The PMD further warned that the weather system could cause significant damage, with windstorms, hailstorms, and lightning potentially affecting infrastructure, including electric poles, trees, vehicles, and solar panels.

Farmers have been advised to adjust crop activities in light of the conditions, and members of the public, including travelers and tourists, have been urged to take precautionary measures during the stormy weather.

This warning follows the tragic storm-related incidents in Punjab, where 18 people were killed and 110 injured. The storms affected several districts including Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sialkot, and Lahore. In addition, last week, another thunderstorm claimed the life of a child and injured 11 people in northern parts of the country.

The frequent erratic weather patterns in Pakistan have been attributed to climate change, with experts pointing to human-driven factors behind the increasing severity and frequency of such storms. In 2022, catastrophic floods, linked to climate change, killed over 1,700 people and caused over $30 billion in damages.