Strong winds followed by heavy rain wreaked havoc in different parts of Lahore with several low-lying areas inundated.
Incessant showers on Wednesday broke a 30-year-old record when the city received over 290mm of rain within a span of 10 hours, Commissioner Lahore Mohammad Ali Randhawa said.
The metropolis received 291mm of rain, during which more than a dozen areas recorded more than 200mm of rain, the official said, adding this is happening due to climate change and strong monsoon.
Rain caused disruption of electricity in parts of Lahore as more than 200 feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) tripped, plunging various parts of the city into darkness.
According to Wasa, the city’s Lakhsmi Chowk area received 259mm of rain, Nishter Town 258mm, Gulshan-e-Ravi 251mm, Johar Town 250mm, Qurtaba Chowk 241mm, Tajpura 238mm, Pana Wala Talab 222mm and Iqbal Town 221mm.
The rain spell, which started earlier in the morning, paralysed the city as all the major roads and connecting streets were waterlogged making commuting impossible. Many vehicles broke down on the roads due to knee-deep water.
Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that record-breaking rain had caused urban flooding while the canal overflowed following heavy downpours.
“All the cabinet members and administration are in the field to clear the water. I am also monitoring the situation in the field and getting updates from all over Lahore continuously,” the chief minister said as he visited the city to oversee relief operations.
Other Punjab cities, including Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Phalia, Sharaqpur, Nankana and Sheikhupura, are lashed by rains. The continuous rain also inundated the low-lying areas in different cities, causing traffic disruption.
