The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued an urgent alert for potential Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, driven by heatwave-induced glacier melt. Heavy rainfall is also forecast for Punjab, which raises concerns about urban flooding.
The PMD’s Research and Development Division warned that rising temperatures, combined with an approaching weather system, could trigger GLOFs in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Glacier meltwater may cause glacial lakes to burst, leading to flash floods in vulnerable valleys, such as Hunza and Chitral, according to the PMD. With 3,044 glacial lakes in the region, 33 are at high risk, per ICIMOD data.
گلیشیائی جھیل پھٹنے کیوجہ سیلابی صورتحال (گلوف) الرٹ:
گلگت بلتستان اور خیبرپختونخوا کے گلیشیرز پر تیزی کے ساتھ برف پگھلنے کے عمل کیوجہ سے گلوف کا خدشہ۔ جسکے باعث ندی نالوں میں طغیانی اور لینڈ سلائیڈنگ کا خطرہ ہے۔ حساس علاقوں میں ریسکیو، رسپانس ادارے اور مقامی انتظامیہ الرٹ۔ pic.twitter.com/7SGkvStxZZ
— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) July 4, 2025A separate PMD advisory forecasts heavy rainfall on July 7, 2025 (10th Muharram), in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and other cities in Punjab, with a risk of urban flooding in low-lying areas. Sindh and Balochistan will remain hot and humid, though Karachi and Hyderabad may see drizzle. The PMD noted that the 2024 monsoon caused 300 deaths, according to the NDMA, urging emergency teams to prepare for similar impacts amid the Muharram processions.
The PMD advised local administrations, NDMA, and PDMA to enhance monitoring, deploy early warning systems, and evacuate high-risk areas. Gilgit-Baltistan’s 2024 GLOF in Shishper Glacier displaced 1,500 people, per Dawn, highlighting the stakes. Social media on X, with posts like “GLOF risks threaten northern Pakistan again,” reflects public concern. Rescue 1122 and local NGOs are mobilising, with drones monitoring glacial lakes.
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