The summer months always mean heavy monsoonal moisture spreading across India. Farming in this region depends entirely on the monsoonal rainfall so the rains are typically both expected and welcome. However, rains that fall too fast can still lead to dangerous flooding. This is particularly true if the heavy rain affects areas unaccustomed to the tropical downpours. Such has been the case in the past few weeks over central Pakistan (see map below).
The Punjab is a region that spans the border between Pakistan and India. A slow-moving area of tropical low pressure has been enhancing the normal monsoonal moisture flow (see satellite animation below). The Sindh district reported 355 mm of rain on Friday, the heaviest one-day total ever recorded there. The Balochistan region has seen three times their normal rainfall amounts, leading to the worst flooding in 30 years. The direct death toll from this flooding is approaching 1,000 in Pakistan and India. Almost a million people have been displaced from their homes. These floods have also destroyed billions worth of crops, leading to soaring food price inflation.
A giant tropical cyclone over Pakistan is pushing alot of clouds over Hindukush in Afghanistan. This means the monsoon rainfalls and floods may probably extend to west and central parts of Afghanistan. Below animation shows the tropical cyclone movement during the past six hours. pic.twitter.com/zonAQ18ATq
— Najibullah Sadid (@NajibSadid) August 19, 2022
Due to monsoon rain & flooding many areas of 🇵🇰 are affected disastrously especially #Balochistan & #SouthPunjab
In this calamity people of 🇵🇰 are looking forwarded to us for help.#AlkhidmatVolunteers are on service as the weather conditions stay the same.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/hbamKV3Nrr— Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan (@AlkhidmatOrg) August 18, 2022
Another tropical cyclone is moving into northeast India. Model guidance projects this low to move slowly towards the Punjab in the coming week. Unfortunately this will mean an extended threat for severe flooding persisting into early September. Lead photo courtesy of UN photographer Evan Schneider.