ISLAMABAD: The Potohar region, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are expected to face slightly above-normal rain in the upcoming monsoon season, with threat of landslide and flash floods in the streams of hilly areas.
Briefing the National Monsoon Coordination Conference on Wednesday the officials of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the outlook for monsoon this year anticipated prevalence of El Niño conditions while the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) would remain in positive phase.
The conference was informed that a positive IOD led to greater monsoon rainfall in countries of South Asia, including Pakistan.
With monsoon rains expected to hit the country in the coming weeks, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) held the National Monsoon Coordination Conference to devise ways to counter any eventuality.
NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, while presiding over the conference, stressed on fostering coordination among stakeholders, and underscored the significance of preparedness by learning from the experiences of last year’s devastating floods.
The conference participants agreed upon issuing tangible advisories and guidelines to the general public, humanitarian organisations and line departments in case of any eventuality.
Briefing the conference on the weather outlook for ‘July- August-September’, the PMD officials highlighted that possibility of extreme weather events in the summer of 2023 was predicted.
It was told that there were chances of riverine floods, flash flooding, landslides and urban flooding, whereas farmers were told to prepare themselves for these events and plan their tilling on the fields accordingly.
The seasonal temperatures were expected to remain within normal to higher than normal range throughout the country.
Highlighting the impacts of El Niñoand positive IOD, the PMD officials said the possibility of occasional extreme hydro-meteorological events over catchment areas could not be ruled out.
Similarly there were chances of urban flooding, hill torrents and flash floods due to isolated heavy downpours and the situation could generate riverine floods in major rivers.
The PMD has said that soaring temperatures in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir could accelerate melting of snow, resulting in an increased flow of water into rivers.
The NDMA chairman noted that proactive measures were essential to mitigate disaster impact, stressing on tangible actions before disaster struck. He also called for timely training of responders and a review of stock positions for monsoon contingencies.
Lt Gen Malik directed the provincial authorities to coordinate with NGOs and humanitarian organisations to maximise outreach to local communities and alignment of their resources as per the meteorological department’s weather projections.
Representatives of disaster management authorities of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir presented details of public awareness campaigns and mock exercises for monsoon contingencies.
The meeting was attended by the Indus River Systems Authority (Irsa) chairman, representatives of the climate change ministry, emergency services, relevant NGOs and UN bodies, Suparco, National Highway Authority, armed forces, Capital Development Authority and Islamabad administration.
