Torrential rain forecast puts six Punjab cities on flood watch

• Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujrat at risk of urban flooding
• PDMA warns of continued rains across region through Aug 21
• Chenab, Ravi and Kabul rivers near low-level thresholds
• Dera Ghazi Khan hill torrents pose risk of flash floods

LAHORE: Flood Forecasting Di­­vision (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteor­ological Department on Monday wa­­rned of urban flooding due to pos­­sible torrential rains in six maj­or cities of Punjab during the next 24 hours.

The cities for which urban flo­oding has been predicted are Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Gujrat.

The FFD said that the Indus river at Kalabagh is likely to remain in low to medium flood, while low-level flooding was expected at Tarbela, Chashma, Taunsa and Guddu. The river Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad is expected to experience low-level flooding. The river Kabul at Nowshera is also likely to reach the low-flood level. The forecast said that the river Ravi at Sidhnai is expected to attain low-flood level, while at Balloki, it is likely to remain in the same category.

For the next four days (August 18 to 21), the FFD forecast that the Jhelum River at Mangla is likely to attain low-flood level. Rim-gauging stations along the Chenab and Ravi rivers are also expected to reach low-flood levels.

The adjoining streams of the Chenab and Ravi could experience low to medium flooding, while tributaries of the Kabul River and hill torrents in the Dera Ghazi Khan division faced a risk of flash flooding.

The latest forecast comes amid a fresh spell of monsoon rains, with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warning of widespread rainfall in Punjab through August 21 and putting local administrations on high alert.

On the other hand, the Water and Power Authority in its daily report showed an inflow of 258,700 cusecs and an outflow of 258,100 cusecs at Tarbela on the Indus River. At Nowshera, the Kabul River was carrying 32,500 cusecs, with an equal outflow.

The flow at Khairabad Bridge was recorded at 277,500 cusecs. The Jhelum at Mangla recorded an inflow of 26,300 cusecs against an outflow of 7,000 cusecs, while the Chenab at Marala had an inflow of 67,000 cusecs and an outflow of 42,400 cusecs.

At the barrages, Jinnah recorded an inflow of 373,100 cusecs and an outflow of 365,000 cusecs. Chash­­ma had an inflow of 334,500 cusecs against an outflow of 325,700 cusecs, while Taunsa recorded 341,200 cus­e­­cs and 320,800 cusecs respectively.

Guddu recorded an inflow of 242,500 cusecs and an outflow of 206,100 cusecs, while Sukkur had an inflow of 176,200 cusecs and an outflow of 122,200 cusecs.

At Kotri, the inflow stood at 157,300 cusecs and the outflow at 114,900 cusecs. Trimmu recorded 39,800 cusecs against an outflow of 27,800 cusecs, while Panjnad had an inflow of 45,900 cusecs and an outflow of 31,300 cusecs.

Dam levels

Tarbela’s water level stood at 1,550 feet, equal to its maximum conservation level, while its live storage was recorded at 5.580 million acre-feet (MAF). Its minimum operating level is 1,402 feet.

Mangla’s level stood at 1,211.85 feet against a maximum conservation level of 1,242 feet, with live storage of 5.015 MAF. Its minimum operating level is 1,050 feet. Cha­shma’s water level was recorded at 648.50 feet, just below its maxim­­um conservation level of 649 feet.

Its live storage stood at 0.285 MAF, while the minimum operating level is 638.15 feet. The report said the inflows and outflows of the Indus at Tarbela, Jinnah and Chashma, the Kabul at Nowshera and the Jhelum at Mangla represented mean flows over 24 hours.

Other flows were gauged at 6am on Monday.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2026