Flood alerts in Punjab and Sindh as NDMA warns of heavy rains

NDMA has issued urgent warnings of urban flooding, lightning, and landslides in northern Punjab and Islamabad, while Sindh braces for surging river flows and mass evacuations.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday issued a high alert for parts of Islamabad and northern Punjab, warning of urban flooding, lightning, and landslides over the next six hours as a strong weather system intensifies. The advisory follows a spell of extreme heat that triggered towering cumulonimbus clouds, expected to bring heavy downpours, thunderstorms, and lightning across Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, and the federal capital.NDMA continues to provide aid for Gaza, Lebanon

Officials cautioned that flash floods and landslides could damage infrastructure and disrupt power supply, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel, keep vehicles parked in safe areas, and stay away from weak structures and trees. The NDMA also issued a parallel alert for southern Punjab, forecasting heavy rain and windstorms in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rahim Yar Khan. The agency warned of potential flash floods in streams and nullahs, uprooting of trees, and traffic accidents due to reduced visibility.

The alerts come as flood-hit regions across Punjab and Sindh struggle with mass displacements and relief operations. In Multan, at least five people, including a woman and four children, died when a rescue boat capsized during an evacuation in Jalalpur Pirwala. Rescue 1122 confirmed that over 20 people were aboard when strong currents overturned the vessel. More than a dozen were saved, though the tragedy highlighted the risks of overloaded rescue operations. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has since instructed officials to prioritize safety and prevent overloading of boats. So far, more than 9,000 people have been rescued from affected areas of Multan, while over 350,000 residents and 300,000 livestock have been evacuated to safer grounds.

In Sindh, authorities reported that more than 121,000 people have been moved from vulnerable katcha areas as water levels rose at key barrages. According to official figures, inflows at Guddu barrage stood at nearly 361,000 cusecs with outflows exceeding 325,000 cusecs, while Sukkur recorded inflows of 329,648 cusecs. At Kotri barrage, water inflows reached 237,922 cusecs. Senior provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said fluctuations in river levels are being closely monitored and assured that evacuation and relief operations remain at full scale.

The Sindh government confirmed that 12,449 people were shifted from at-risk areas in the past 24 hours alone. Around 14,495 livestock have also been evacuated, while 155 health camps provided treatment to more than 5,800 people in a day. In total, nearly 34,000 individuals have received medical care since relief operations began. The PDMA has dispatched boats equipped with outboard motors to Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Hyderabad to support rescue efforts, while the Pakistan Navy has been engaged in operations in Sukkur.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast widespread thunderstorms and heavy rains across Sindh from September 7 to 13, warning of torrential downpours and heightened flood risk. The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) issued similar warnings for Punjab and Balochistan, projecting scattered to widespread rainfall in Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sahiwal divisions. Isolated showers are expected in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Sargodha.

The Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala is already at exceptionally high flood levels, while the Chenab at Panjnad is expected to reach very high levels within the next 24 hours. The Indus River at Guddu is also projected to swell to high flood levels between September 8 and 9. Authorities warned of flash flooding in Rajanpur, DG Khan, the Kirthar Range, and parts of eastern Balochistan, with urban flooding feared in major Sindh cities between September 7 and 9.

Flooding along the Sutlej and Chenab rivers has devastated swathes of southern Punjab, submerging farmland and displacing hundreds of thousands. The scale of evacuations across Sindh and Punjab underscores the growing threat from prolonged heavy rains, which meteorologists say could extend well into mid-September. As authorities continue monitoring water flows and reinforcing embankments, both federal and provincial disaster agencies have urged citizens to strictly follow advisories to minimize casualties and losses.

The NDMA reiterated that urban flooding in Islamabad and northern Punjab, coupled with riverine flooding in Sindh and southern Punjab, poses one of the season’s gravest threats. With forecasts warning of more intense rainfall, the agency emphasized the need for vigilance, public cooperation, and timely evacuation to avert further tragedies.