LAHORE: Torrential rain accompanied by powerful winds battered Lahore on Friday, uprooting hundreds of trees, bringing down electricity poles and flooding roads and intersections across parts of the provincial capital.
Johar Town bore the brunt of the downpour, receiving 100.2 millimetres of rain in around 35 minutes, according to the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). The sudden storm disrupted Friday prayers in some areas and caused widespread traffic congestion as fallen trees blocked major and connecting roads.
Motorists were left stranded at several locations while authorities worked to remove uprooted trees and other debris. Gulshan-i-Ravi recorded 46.2mm of rainfall, while Samanabad received 42.8mm.
The storm also caused widespread electricity disruption after several 11kV distribution feeders tripped during the rain. Parts of Lahore remained without power for several hours, although electricity had been restored to most affected areas by around 8:30 pm.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division warned that heavy to exceptionally heavy rainfall could continue until Saturday, increasing the threat of urban flooding in low-lying areas.
Besides Lahore, the warning covers Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot.
Authorities also cautioned that intense rainfall could rapidly raise water levels in local streams and hill torrents across Kashmir, Murree, Galiyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and the Potohar region, posing a risk of flash flooding.
The Flood Forecasting Division said flows at several major barrages and headworks could reach low-flood levels during the next 24 hours. Moderate increases are also possible in major rivers and adjoining nullahs over the following 24 to 36 hours as runoff from the latest spell of rain moves downstream.