LAHORE: Streets and low-lying areas of Lahore were submerged on Wednesday as “record-breaking” rain battered the city. According to Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, 272 millimetres of rain was recorded in Lahore over nine hours which caused urban flooding and water ponding on roads.

“Canal has also overflowed,” he said, adding that all the cabinet members and administration were in the field to clear the rainwater.

“I am also monitoring the situation in the field and getting updates from all over Lahore continuously,” Naqvi said.

The official Twitter account for the government of Punjab also shared a video of Naqvi touring different parts of the city and monitoring the process of draining the water.

The Water And Sanitation Agency (Wasa) said Lakshmi Chowk recorded the highest amount of rainfall at 236mm.

The commissioner, deputy commissioner of Lahore, and the managing director of Wasa are conducting inspections of the city to address the waterlogging situation, it added.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has said the showers are expected to continue intermittently in Lahore for the next 24 hours.

At least three people were killed in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday due to rain-related incidents, specifically, tree falls, local authorities said.

According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority KP, two fatalities were reported in Shangla, and another individual lost his life in Karak.

The statement said that seven individuals sustained injuries, and more than six houses were partially damaged as a result of the rainfall.

Considering the forecast of further downpours, the PDMA said it had directed the Rescue 1122, and district administration to remain on high alert.

Relief Secretary Abdul Basit issued instructions to officials to assess the losses caused by rain-related incidents, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall for other parts of the province, including Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Toba Tek Singh, and Mandi Bahauddin.

The department highlighted the infiltration of moist currents from the Arabian Sea into the upper regions of the country. Additionally, an impact from a westerly wave is being observed in the upper and central parts of Pakistan, it added.

“Rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Kashmir Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, T T Singh, Bahawalnagar, Narowal, Sialkot, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Lahore, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan districts,” the Met Office said.

In KP, rain and thunderstorm is expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbott­abad, Malakand, Balakot, Char­sadda, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat, Kurram, Bannu, Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan.

In its forecast issued yesterday, the PMD had also warned of urban flooding as a result of expected heavy rainfall in low-lying areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan in the next two days.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued directives for all relevant departments to stay vigilant due to predicted rainfall until July 8. Additionally, it advised tourists and visitors to stay informed about weather conditions before travelling, while urging farmers and livestock owners to take necessary precautions considering the current weather conditions.

“Rain, wind and thundershowers are expected in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, GB, KP, Islamabad, the Potohar region, upper and central Punjab, and northeast Balochistan. Isolated heavy falls are also expected in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period. Hot and humid weather is expected in other parts of the country.”