The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has activated its flood warning center (FWC) in the city as the monsoon season is likely to kick off from the first week of July.
The Met office said the chances of massive flooding cannot be ruled out this year despite the prediction that the average rainfall during the monsoon season (July to September) will remain 10 percent below the normal levels. A 10 percent above the normal rainfall is expected in the northern half of the country including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir whereas a 10 percent below the average rainfall is expected in southern parts of the country including Balochistan and Sindh.
Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz told Pakistan Today that the PMD has devised a system to inform and warn the departments concerned about the latest updates regarding floods and an FWC had already been started from Wednesday.
The Met chief further said that the Met office sends flood information and warning to more than 200 offices including district and provincial management, Water and Power Development Authority, national and provincial disaster management authorities, irrigation department and print and electronic media.
He said the media has been taking updates from the PMD’s website and is also being informed through personal communication with the Met officers situated in different cities. Proper arrangements were being made and Riaz hoped there would be no massive flooding this year.
Earlier seasonal report by the Met office revealed that the interaction of easterly and westerly winds might result in heavy downpour causing localised urban or flash flooding during the monsoon season. The Met office also said the area-weighted normal rainfall for Pakistan this monsoon season was 137.5 millimeters. He said keeping in view the changing interactive behaviour of different meteorological parameters, the mid-season review of the monsoon would be issued during the first week of August.