Cabinet declares monsoon emergency in Pakistan

• “We need to brace for the next round of rain torrents starting tomorrow,” climate change minister says.
• Sherry Rehman directs all provincial and district administrations to take preventive measures.
• Met Office says monsoon activity is likely to continue in coming days; more rains are expected from August 10-13.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman Friday warned the nation that the federal cabinet has declared a “monsoon emergency” in Pakistan.

“We need to brace for the next round of rain torrents starting tomorrow,” the federal minister wrote on Twitter.

Rehman directed all provincial and district administrations, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to act now to take as many preventive measures as possible.

Earlier, in its weather advisory, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had said that monsoon activity is likely to continue in the coming days while more rains are expected from August 10-13.

Met Office informed that monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the country and are likely to become stronger from August 10 (Wednesday).

Under the influence of this weather system, rain-wind/thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) are expected from August 6 to August 9 (with occasional gaps) in:

• Kashmir
• Islamabad
• Northeast Punjab
• Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Eastern Balochistan
• Southeastern Sindh

Meanwhile, rain-wind/thundershower (with scattered heavy falls) are expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and parts of Balochistan from August 10 to 13 with occasional gaps.