The weather department on Wednesday said that heavy rains were expected in Naseerabad, Sibbi and Lasbela divisions of Balochistan during the next 24 hours as a new monsoon system would enter the province today. The department also forecast rains for the upper parts of the country and areas of Sindh Mithi, Badin, Umarkot, Tharparkar and Mirpurkhas during the aforementioned period, saying strong monsoon currents from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea were entering these areas via India. In view of torrential rains predicted for different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), especially for the upper areas of the province from today, the provincial Tourism Department urged people to avoid going to hilly areas. In a statement, it said that heavy rains could result in landslides in mountainous areas, so tourists were advised to stay safe. On the other hand, Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said that Karachi would receive the first spell of monsoon rains on July 5. Two days ago, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had predicted significant monsoon activity across upper and central parts of the country from July 3 to July 7 that could potentially disrupt daily routines. In a statement, the PMD had said that rain and thunderstorms, including heavy to very heavy falls, were likely to lash Neelum Valley and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the period. The department had also forecasted thundershowers for Islamabad and cities of Punjab, including Rawalpindi and Lahore, which could lead to urban flooding. On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) weather, it said that very heavy falls were expected at isolated places, especially in the upper areas of the province, and also including Peshawar and Kohat. The department also predicted downpours for eastern Balochistan, parts of Sindh, including Umarkot and Sukkur, and Skardu and Gilgit in the country’s north from July 4. The PDM also alerted the concerned departments about possible flooding of nullahs and streams of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other areas as well as urban flooding in Lahore and Peshawar from July 4 to 7. It had further said that landslides are a risk in hilly regions such as Murree and Galiyat. The heavy rainfall might also pose risks to weak structures and disrupt farming and travel activities. Badswat GLOF activity The National Emergencies Operation Center of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday anticipated that a minor Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) was expected to prevail in Badswat Nullah. The minor glacial flooding would cause low level and localized flash flooding whereby temporary bridge and road connections for upstream areas were likely to be impacted, the NDMA news release said. The NDMA has advised the Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) and local administration to closely monitor the situation and identify at-risk population and evacuate them to safer zones in case of medium to high flows. The Community based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) teams were also advised to stay on alert. “The public is advised to remain vigilant and follow instructions from local authorities. NDMA advises the public to stay informed and download ‘Pak NDMA Disaster Alert’ mobile app for timely alerts and closely monitor weather reports. Travelers are advised to avoid unnecessary travel in case of likely flooding situations,” the NDMA said.