NDMA asks tourists, non-essential travelers to skip trips to northern Pakistan till July 14
The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) National Weather Forecasting Center has on Friday forecast rain, storms and thunderstorms in the northern part of the country over the weekend.
The department said the westerly wave and moist currents from the Arabian Sea were expected to enter the upper parts of the country and strengthen on Saturday evening.
PMD predicted rain, windstorm or thundershower in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar on July 11 (evening) to 13 with occasional gaps.
For Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the department predicted a similar weather forecast.
It predicted rain, wind, thundershowers with isolated heavy falls in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Nowshera, Charsadda, Karak, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Swabi, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Kurram, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Waziristan, Mohmand, Bajaur, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu on 11th and 12th July.
The Met department also warned of rain, windstorm as well as thundershowers with isolated heavy falls in several parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir namely Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Neelum Valley, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur from July 10 (night) at occasional intervals.
The department advised local authorities to remain vigilant during the current weather forecast.
It said windstorms and lightning could damage weak structures such as solar panels, electric poles and billboards.
“Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir on July 11 and 12,” the warning read, adding that water flow may increase in local streams and nullahs in the aforementioned regions during the forecast period.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned tourists and non-essential travelers to avoid the northern areas from July 10 to 14 in the wake of flash glacial floods and landslides that serve as an immediate high-level threat.
Its National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said landslide warnings covered 11-13. July, while flood and tidal wave warnings were in effect across GB, KP and AJK until 14 July.
Authorities were required to conduct rapid hazard assessments and relay real-time alerts to local authorities.
Officials warned that rising temperatures and persistent heavy rains could trigger floods from glacial lake outbursts, hill flows, debris flows, flash floods and rockfalls in vulnerable glacial valleys.
The NDMA outlined several high risk zones including Badswat, Ashkoman, Hinarchi, Yasin Valley, Khaplu, Hisper Glacier, Hopper Glacier and surrounding areas.
The authority also highlighted vulnerable roads including Jaglot-Skardu, Hunza-Gojal and Gilgit-Ghizer in its warning. It also added the Naltar Valley, Bagrot Valley and Hermosh to the list of high-risk routes.
NEOC asked citizens to take immediate precautions such as staying away from glacial lakes, river channels and known flood paths and avoiding traveling on landslide-prone roads.
The advisory also instructed travelers to follow instructions issued by local authorities.
The authority warned that river bank erosion and sudden debris flows could quickly worsen conditions and directed district administrations to mobilize emergency teams and issue warnings on the ground.
For official updates and safety guidance, the public and visitors were instructed to use the Pakistan NDMA Disaster Alert application.
