KARACHI: Isolated heavy falls may produce floods in cities and hilly areas with landslides during August, as the country is likely to see more monsoonal rains, the Met Office said on Monday.

In its outlook for August 2023, the Met forecast a normal to slightly above normal rainfall for the country's most parts, warning that isolated downpours may trigger floods in urban and hilly areas with landslides.

The western disturbances over Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and adjoining Kashmir may help produce slightly above normal rains in these provinces, it said.

It forecast that an occasionally isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms is also expected in Punjab and Sindh during in this August.

Sufficient water for irrigation and power generation will be continuously available from rainfall and snowmelt during the month, it added.

Riverine floods in major rivers from heavy to very heavy rainfalls in upper catchments of Indus Basin may not be ruled out, it said.

Snowmelt in northern areas from higher temperatures may also increase base flow in the upper Indus Basin with chances of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, it warned that the country may witness a higher heat index in August.

“Considering positive phases of climate indicators like El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which are expected to persist in August 2023,” the Met said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023