KP PDMA alerts districts as new rain spell begins today

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday alerted the district administrations across the province to the possibility of floods due a new spell of torrential rains from July 11 to 17.

It also said that a woman and her son were injured in Botigrama in Sirikot area due to roof collapse during torrential rains in the last 24 hours.

The PDMA also reported damage to 22 houses due to downpour in several districts.

In an advisory issued to deputy commissioners across the province, the PDMA said that the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had informed that moist currents were penetrating most parts of the region and were likely to intensify in the next couple of days.

It said that a westerly wave was also expected to approach on July 13 (evening night) and under the influence of these meteorological conditions, rain with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds with isolated and scattered heavy falls at times very heavy were expected in Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Malakand, Battagram, Shangla, Kohistan, Kolai Pallas Kohistan, Torghar, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, North and South Waziristan from July 11 to 17 with occasional gaps.

According to it, heavy to very heavy rains could generate flash floods in local nullah/streams of Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Kolai-Palas Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Bajaur, Battagram, Buner, Hangu, Torghar, Haripur, Karak, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Khyber, Kohat, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Peshawar, Shangla, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Malakand, Mansehra, Mohmand, Orakzai, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Tank during the period.

There is a high likelihood of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, while riverine floods are likely to occur in Chitral, Swat, Panjkora and Kabul rivers.

The PDMA asked authorities to take all precautionary measures in order to avoid or minimise human losses or any damage to infrastructure and livestock.

It said that fairly widespread to widespread rains with thunderstorm and gusty winds were very likely to fall in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Malakand, Battagram, Shangla, Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Torghar, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and North and South Waziristan in the next next 24 hours.

In the last 24 hours, Risalpur received 38mm of rain, Cherat 20, Parachinar 10, Kakul 4, Peshawar and Timergara 2, Khar and Ghalani 1, according to it.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025