Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has noted that river Indus is at present flowing in low flood at Kalabagh while all other main rivers including Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej are flowing normally.

According to the daily FFC report, both Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs are at elevations of 1515.32 feet and 1229.70 feet respectively, which are both 34.68 feet & 12.30 feet below their respective Maximum Conservation Levels of 1550.00 feet and 1242.00 feet. The combined live storage capacity of Tarbela, Chashma and Mangla reservoirs is 11.022 MAF, significantly less when compared to last year’s 12.846 MAF. A trough of Westerly Wave was also found present in Northeastern Iran while a seasonal low lies over Northern Balochistan. Moist currents from the Arabian Sea are also noted to have penetrated up to 5000 feet in the upper parts of the country and are expected to intensify further. The Commission has also predicted scattered thunderstorm/ rain over the upper catchments of rivers Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum, including areas in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala Divisions during the next 24 hours.

Isolated thunderstorm/ rain may occur over the upper catchment of river Indus in areas including Sargodha, Lahore and D.G. Khan Divisions, Northeastern Balochistan and Southeastern Sindh during the same period.

Scattered thunderstorm/ rain with isolated heavy falls is also expected over the upper catchments of all major rivers, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Southeastern Sindh, Northeastern Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan during the next 48 hours. Heavy downpour may also cause flash flooding and landslides in the vulnerable areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. In addition, rain coupled with water from melting glaciers result in glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events in the vulnerable areas of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan during the same period. All concerned authorities are, hence, advised to be alert, and closely observe the situation in addition to taking all necessary precautionary measures in order to avoid losses of human lives and damages to private and public property.

The Commission also reported rainfall od as much as 46 mm in Murree, 44 mm in Phulra, 41 mm in Kakul, 36 mm in Palandri, 29 mm at Lahore Airport, 20 mm in TajPura, Lahore, 10 mm in Misri Shah, Lahore, 23 mm in Hattian Bala, 22 mm in Rawalakot, 16 mm in Domel, 15 mm in Muzaffarabad, 13 mm in Talhatta, 12 mm in Jhelum, 11 mm in Sehrkakota, 11 mm in Dratian, 10 mm in Kotli and 10 mm in Sialkot (Cantt).