Lahore has received over 290mm rain that has broken the 30-year-old as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to take urgent measures and mobilise the rescue teams amidst heavy rains in the province and prevent urban flooding, reported 24NewsHD TV channel

The prime minister called for coordinated efforts by the district administration, Rescue 1122, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, municipal and other departments, saying that all possible measures should be taken to protect the citizens’ lives, according to a PM Office statement issued in Islamabad.

He instructed the National Disaster Management Authority and other federal departments to extend maximum support to the Punjab government, if required. He said that the necessary steps should be taken to aware the citizens of any emergency situation, chalk out alternate traffic plans and make arrangements for proper drainage.

He also instructed to take preventive measures in wake of the monsoon rains in other parts of the country, besides asking the NDMA and PDMAs to coordinate for necessary arrangements. He said the all possible steps should be taken to relocate the people from villages to safe locations besides saving their cattle.

Similarly, he said all necessary measures should be taken to prevent the urban flooding.

The prime minister also directed to mobilise the respective administrations of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other hilly areas, besides instructing to keep the PM Office updated on all the measures taken.

Lahore receives record rain

Lahore received 291 millimeters of rain in 10 hours on July 5, 2023 (Wednesday) that broke 30-year-old record.

So intense was the downpour that over 200 millimeters of rain was recorded at over dozen places of the Punjab capital.

Around nine days back, on June 26, the city had received 256 millimeters of rain.

Last year, in 2022, the highest amount of rainfall recorded in the city in just few hours was 238 millimeters.

And four years back in 2018, Lahore received 288 millimeters of rain.

Never ever in the last 30 years, the city received as much rain, and that, too, in a short span of time.

Heavy rain and strong winds that lashed Lahore and other parts of the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), early Wednesday morning turned low-lying areas into pools of water and even inundated main roads.

And although day temperature dropped, still the water accumulated on roads created lot of inconvenience for motorists and pedestrians alike as they had to wade through knee-deep water to get to their destinations.

Fatalities and injuries were reported from some areas of KP as well.