The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has issued a flash flood warning for the Kabul River and its tributaries for January 22 and 23, with the possibility of upper parts of the country getting affected

In its alert on Tuesday, the FFC said a “strong westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country from the evening of January 21 to January 24, 2026. Consequently, flows in River Kabul, along with its associated tributaries, may rise from January 22 to January 23, 2026”.

The alert said that “on account of expected moderate to isolated heavy rainfall coupled with snowfall over the upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Swat, Chitral, Buner, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Chitral, Mardan, Swabi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Haripur, Kolai-Palas and Kohistan) and Kashmir, the risk of flash flooding cannot be ruled out”.

In view of the situation, all organisations concerned, particularly the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in KP, relevant district administrations and KP Irrigation Department’s field formations are advised to “remain alert and ensure all necessary precautionary measures well in time to avoid any loss of precious human lives and damages to private and public property, besides the irrigation and flood protection infrastructure”.

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), flash floods “begin within six hours, and often within three hours, of heavy rainfall”.

“A flash flood is generally characterised by raging torrents after heavy rains, a dam or levee failure or a sudden release of water in a previously stopped passage that rips through riverbeds, urban streets, or mountain canyons, sweeping away everything in its path,” the UNDRR’s website states.