Lahore Monday received first monsoon rain, which paralysed life in the city and created chaos on roads as rainwater inundated in many parts of the city. Lahoriites enjoyed cloudy weather with mild cool winds and heaved a sigh of relief from the hot and sultry weather conditions, which were prevailing in Lahore and adjoining areas for last couple of days.
However, the pleasantness only short-lived as flooded roads created miseries for the citizens. The city received two spells of downpour in the morning, each spell lasted for around 20 minutes. An official of Pakistan Meteorological Department said the city received 65 mm of rain in two spells, which brought the mercury down to 29 Celsius degrees.
Like previous years, rainwater inundated many parts of the city, raising question marks on the performance of Wasa. Rainwater blocked roads and streets and several residential areas of the city submerged under several feet of water. Roads looked like rivers, blocking the traffic. Life in the city completely paralysed as citizens had trouble reaching their workplaces and homes.
Among the effected areas were Lakshmi Chowk, Misri Shah, Wasanpura, Chauburji, Monzang Chungi, Samanabad, many parts of Gulberg and New Garden Town, Shahdara Main Road, Bhatti Gate, Garhi Shahu, Begumpura, University of Engineering and Technology, Mulghalpura, Shalimar Link Road, Shajmal, Ichhra and Islampura. The area around 'The Mall' was inundated as well.
By evening, accumulated rainwater drained out from most parts of the city. A Wasa official said they managed to drain out rainwater by 3.45pm, but their efforts were hampered by loadshedding and accumulation of waste due to the strike of solid waste management staff.
Meanwhile, other parts of the country also received monsoon rain, including Faisalabad 142 mm, Okara 77 mm, Mandi Bahuddin 49 mm, Sahiwal 40, Kakul 35 mm, Jehlum 33 mm, Dir 28 mm, Saidusharif 27 mm, Sialkot 18 mm, Garidupatta 15 mm, Muzaffrabad 14 mm, Rawalpindi 11 mm, Toa Tek Singh 9 mm, Kamra 7 mm and Islamabad 4 mm. More rains have been forecasted with dust and thunderstorms in Lahore and Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtonkhwa and Kashmir, while light rain/drizzle may occur in Sindh's coastal areas.