ISLAMABAD          -         The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) Lahore has predicted on Sunday urban flooding in Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad from Monday (today) to Wednesday.

Tributaries of Rivers Ravi and Chenab along with Hill Torrents of D.G. Khan Division may also experience moderate flooding during the same 72 hours period, it further said.

For the ensuing 24 hours, FFD, Lahore has predicted scattered wind thunderstorm/rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls over Punjab (Rawalpindi Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore, Faisalabad & Sahiwal Divisions), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir including upper catchments of all the major rivers. Isolated wind thunderstorm/rain has also been predicted over Southern Sindh, Coastal Balochistan and D.G. Khan Division during the same period.

The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that at present there is no riverine flood situation and all main rivers are flowing normal. According to daily FFC report on Sunday, the combined water storage position at Tarbela, Chashma and Mangla reservoirs is 7.789 MAF (57.21% of the total existing Live Storage Capacity of 13.614 MAF), which is quite healthy when compared with the corresponding value of last year i.e. 5.778 MAF.

As regards Tarbela Dam, this year there is much variance in the inflows at Tarbela owing to continuous fluctuations in temperature at Skardu. Last year’s Skardu temperature was 35º C as against today’s value of 26.4º C indicating the maximum variation of 8.6º C whereas flow variation remained maximum for July 12 i.e. 126,900 Cusecs.

Yesterday’s trough of Westerly Wave over Northern Afghanistan lies over Northeastern Afghanistan, however, yesterday upper air circulation over Arabian Sea has become insignificant. Weak Seasonal Low lies over Northern Balochistan with moist currents from Arabian Sea penetrating into upper parts of the Pakistan upto 5000 feet and is likely to intensify significantly during next 48 hours.

Scattered to widespread wind thunderstorm/rain with heavy falls at isolated places and “Very Heavy Falls” at few places is expected over Gujranawala, Lahore, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan & D.I. Khan Divisions including the upper catchments of Rivers Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej, besides, scattered wind thunderstorm/rain of Moderate Intensity with few Heavy Falls over Rawalpindi & Multan Divisions of Punjab, KP’s Malakand , Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat & Bannu Divisions and Northeastern Balochistan in addition to the upper catchments of Rivers Indus & Jhelum during the next 72 hours.