RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: A number of hours lengthy spell of rain with sturdy gusts in Rawalpindi and Islamabad inundated low-mendacity areas of the twin cities, together with underpasses, uprooted timber, and in addition raised the water degree in Nullah Leh by a minimum of seven toes within the early hours of Tuesday.
The rain began at 12:03am and continued for just a few hours intermittently, bringing the mercury all the way down to 29 levels Celsius. “Leh Nullah rose to seven toes however the scenario remained beneath management as a result of dredging of the nullah earlier than the monsoon,” stated Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer whereas speaking to Dawn.
The Met officers had been of the view that in monsoon, the rain occurred within the small pockets and it didn’t happen throughout the town. It recorded a most gust of 45 knots (83km per hour) from north to west in Islamabad whereas the wind pace in Rawalpindi was recorded at 107 kilometres per hour; in Chaklala, it was 110 kilometres per hour.
The officers stated Tuesday night time’s storm was not a document-making storm. In May this 12 months, winds on the pace of 148km per hour hit Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Wind gusting as much as 107km per hour uproot timber, poles
The rainstorm not solely broken timber in components of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, but in addition broken electrical energy infrastructure, leaving dozens of areas with out energy provide. In Media Town and Bahria Town alongside the Islamabad Expressway, a hailstorm broken windowpanes.
The sturdy wind broken a lot of timber in Islamabad, however the majority of them weren’t uprooted. The atmosphere wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) stated that a number of timber primarily in graveyards had been uprooted however the wind broken round 25 massive timber. In most circumstances, branches of a lot of timber snapped.
Environment Wing Director General Irfan Niazi stated that brittle wooden timber, together with the paper-mulberry, eucalyptus, jacaranda and poplar normally endure as a result of sturdy winds.
“But the sturdy wind broken the hardwood timber too, as one pine tree broke into two on Margalla Road; native Mulberry and even a few sheesham (Indian rosewood) timber had been broken,” he added.
As quickly because the daylight broke, the atmosphere wing swung into motion clearing roadblocks created by fallen timber and branches. The wooden obtained is bought on the worth of the final public sale through the prescribed process of the CDA.
On the opposite hand, sturdy winds on the pace of 58 knots additionally broken the electrical energy infrastructure as a result of uprooted tree trunks, branches and signboards, inflicting energy outages in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The officers of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) described the scenario as a ‘horrible storm’, including that a lot of energy provide wires, feeders as properly and electrical energy poles had been broken.
“Around 180 feeders developed fault resulting in tripping; a minimum of 5 excessive rigidity poles suffered and a lot of native energy provide poles as properly particular person connections suffered,” a spokesman of Iesco stated, including that the majority the complaints have been addressed.
In May this 12 months, winds on the pace of 80 kilometres per hour (40 knots) blew away short-term shelters and uprooted some timber.
The Met Office stated that the height wind pace within the twin cities reached 58 knots which is round 107 kilometres per hour at 12:05 am Tuesday. However, the gust lasted for under quarter-hour adopted by round 39 mm rainfall.
The specialists within the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) stated {that a} storm-like scenario occurred as a result of delays within the arrival of cool winds from the west and northwest.
The specialists in PMD have stated that situations had been sizzling together with very excessive humidity over the previous few days; this coupled with city warmth generated by Islamabad, Rawalpindi and all the world even past Taxila created a vacuum-like scenario within the decrease ambiance over this area. The common humidity in Rawalpindi – Islamabad is round 40 per cent nowadays.
However, as a result of steady move of heat moisture winds from the Arabian Sea, the humidity degree in Islamabad was 56 per cent Monday night and reached 82 per cent by 11pm.
“To fill this vacuum the cool winds from north and northwest rushed in the direction of the area – creating gusts,” the official stated, including that the chilly precipitation additionally dropped the mercury degree. The Met Office predicted a minimum of two delicate rain spells earlier than the monsoon season formally ends on September 15.
Published in Dawn, September sixth, 2023
