Webdesk: The downpour in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has paralysed life by disrupting air travel and causing floods in various places in the cities.
Weather conditions were conducive: low visibility and poor weather mainly disrupted the flight operations of Islamabad international airport. Some flights were postponed or even cancelled.
British Airways flight BK2160 was delayed by 3 hours, while a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Dubai departed an hour late. A private airline’s flight to Karachi was delayed by 2 hours.
International flights to destinations like Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh, and Baku were also delayed by up to an hour.
According to the airport’s official flight inquiry portal, six flights arriving at or departing from Islamabad were completely cancelled. These included PIA’s Skardu-bound flights PK451 and PK452, and AirSial’s Karachi to Islamabad flight PF121.
All flight to Skardu remained suspended throughout the day due to harsh weather.
Meanwhile heavy rainfall continued throughout the night in twin cities, causing several areas to submerge in water. Key roads including Adiala Road were flooded, severely affecting traffic flow.
In Rawalpindi’s Katarian area, water levels in the Lai Nullah rose to 15.7 feet, prompting an alert for low-lying areas. Rescue teams were dispatched to affected zones where water entered several homes.
According to the Meteorological Department, Islamabad’s Bokra area recorded the highest rainfall at 125 mm, followed by Sector I-12 with 106 mm, Golra with 97 mm, the airport area with 61 mm, Saidpur with 69 mm, and Zero Point with 22 mm.
Authorities have advised residents to exercise caution in low-lying areas, as more rain is forecast in the coming days.
Cloudy weather is expected throughout the day, with frequent rain, wind and thunderstorms. Heavy downpours, at times very heavy, are also likely.
According to the latest updates, a well-marked low pressure that was previously over northwest Rajasthan (India) and eastern Punjab has now weakened and lies over northeast Punjab.
A westerly wave is also affecting upper parts of the country. These systems are pulling in strong monsoon currents, which are likely to continue affecting the region over the next 24 hours.
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