At least 65 people have died in Pakistan due to thunderstorms and other storm-related events, with rainfall in April nearly double the historical average.
Heavy rains from the 12th to the 15th led to flash floods and house collapses, while lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least 28 people, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northwest Pakistan has suffered the highest death toll, with 32 people, including 15 children, losing their lives and over 1,300 houses damaged.
Anwar Khan, a spokesperson for the Disaster Management Authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told AFP on the 17th that “all casualties were due to collapsing walls and roofs.”
Villagers whose homes were inundated by floodwaters have been forced to seek shelter in higher ground, including makeshift tents erected with plastic sheets and bamboo poles on the shoulders of highways.
Zaheer Ahmad Babar, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Meteorological Department, stated to AFP, “We have observed extremely unusual rainfall patterns in April.”
Comparing data from the past 30 years, he mentioned, “From April 1 to April 17, our rainfall is 99% above the historical average.”
While most parts of the country saw a respite from rainfall on the 16th and 17th, more heavy rains are expected in the coming days.
Babar commented, “Climate change is a major factor behind these abnormal weather patterns and above-normal rainfall, not just affecting Pakistan but the entire region is experiencing temperature pattern changes.”
(Central News Agency translation)