Heavy monsoon rain leaves many dead in Pakistan, reports weather tracker

Heavy monsoon rain leaves many dead in Pakistan, reports weather tracker
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The south-west monsoon brought deadly rains to Pakistan this week, killing at least 63 people, The Guardian reported. Originating as showers in north-west India, a low-pressure area merged showers into heavy rain across Punjab, hitting cities like Lahore and Islamabad.

Chakwal recorded 423mm of rain, over twice the July average. Rivers overflowed, flooding low-lying areas, with most deaths caused by building collapses and some by electrocution. This raises the monsoon death toll since late June to nearly 180, over half children. Pakistan’s low-lying terrain makes it highly vulnerable to climate-driven floods.

Meanwhile, torrential rains caused flash floods in New York and New Jersey. New Jersey declared a state of emergency after over 150mm of rain flooded roads and killed two in a swept-away car. New York City saw its second-highest hourly rainfall, flooding subway systems.

In Nepal, a “glacial lake outburst” occurred on 8 July when a melting glacier near the Tibetan border released a large lake, causing a “Himalayan tsunami” that flooded the Rasuwa district. The flood damaged infrastructure and killed at least seven. Such events are increasing due to rapid Himalayan warming, creating unstable glacial lakes and raising flash flood risks downstream.