LAHORE: Rain that was heavy at places and windstorms lashed many cities in Punjab and upper parts of the country on Saturday.

The Met office reported rain in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Malakand, Hazara, and Peshawar divisions, besides Kashmir and Islamabad.

Attock recorded 58mm, Hafizabad 33, Mandi Bahauddin 32, Islamabad (Zero Point 31, Bokra 23, airport 6, Saidpur 5), Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 33, Chaklala 27), Sargodha 26, Joharabad 20, Narowal 19, Gujranwala 18, Sialkot (airport 20, Cantt 16), Jhelum 15, Mangla 14, Gujrat 12, Lahore (airport 11, city 5), Chakwal 10, Murree 5, Okara 4, Faisalabad 3, Kasur 02, Muzaffarabad 43, Garidupatta 5, Rawalakot 3, Kotli 01, Kakul 5, Malamjabba 4, while Kalam and Saidu Sharif recived 2mm rain.

Rain in the country is being caused by monsoon currents and the Met department says these are likely to strengthen on Sunday.

It forecast widespread rain, thundershower (few moderate-to-heavy falls) with windstorm in Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Gujranwala divisions, while at scattered places in Kohat, Bannu, Faisalabad, Lahore, Sargodha divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan in the next 24 hours.

Heavy-to-very heavy falls are also expected at isolated places in Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore divisions, besides Islamabad and Kashmir.

The Flood Forecasting Division says the River Kabul at Nowshera was in medium flood. All the other major rivers are flowing below the low-flood level.

It expects moderate to heavy thunderstorm/rain with one or two very heavy falls over the upper catchments of the River Indus. Scattered thunderstorm/rain with isolated heavy falls was also expected over the upper catchments of rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2019