Severe storms batter Islamabad, Rawalpindi

Severe Storms Batter Islamabad, Rawalpindi & Beyond: Power Outages, Collapsed Structures, and Emergency Alerts Issued

Severe weather swept through Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several other cities across Pakistan on Thursday evening, bringing with it heavy rain, powerful winds, and hailstorms that caused widespread damage, power outages, and injuries.

In Rawalpindi, numerous neighborhoods were plunged into darkness as multiple electricity feeders—including those in Sadiqabad, Range Road Dhok, Zeeshan Colony, Chaklala, and Shamsabad—tripped amid the storm.

In Islamabad, key areas such as Pir Sohawa, G-8 Markaz, and Bani Gala also faced outages. IESCO confirmed that restoration teams were actively working to bring power back online.

Tragedy struck in Islamabad's G-12 sector, where the roof of an under-construction building collapsed due to stormy weather, killing two laborers and injuring two more. In Rawalpindi’s Dhok Khaba, a similar collapse left two injured. All victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

The storm’s high winds also caused falling trees and flying metal sheets to damage properties across both cities.

Read more: Vehicles, solar panels damaged as hailstorms batter Islamabad

A policeman was injured when a tree collapsed at the Islamabad Police Headquarters, and in Saddar, Rawalpindi, vehicles and bikes were hit by blown-off rooftop iron sheets.

Rainfall measurements from the Met Office showed 8mm in Saidpur and Shamsabad, and 7mm in Golra.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that more unstable weather is expected over the next 24 hours, especially in Murree, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Peshawar, Swat, Abbottabad, Quetta, and other upper regions.