PMD Issues GLOF Alert as Westerly Wave Hits GB and KP

Pakistan's Meteorological Department has issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood alert for Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the arrival of a powerful westerly wave bringing significant rainfall to both mountainous regions. The advisory warns communities in low-lying valleys and riverine areas to remain on high alert as rapidly melting snow combined with heavy precipitation creates conditions conducive to glacial lake breaches.

GLOF events pose a severe and recurring threat to settlements across northern Pakistan, where hundreds of glacial lakes have been identified as potentially unstable. The PMD's alert follows a pattern of intensified early-summer weather systems that have historically triggered flash flooding with little advance warning, overwhelming local drainage infrastructure and displacing thousands.

Authorities in GB and KP have been urged to activate emergency response protocols, ensure evacuation routes remain accessible, and pre-position relief resources in vulnerable districts. The National Disaster Management Authority is expected to coordinate with provincial counterparts to monitor lake water levels and downstream river flow in real time.

Climate scientists have consistently warned that Pakistan's northern glacier belt — one of the largest concentrations of glacial ice outside the polar regions — is melting at an accelerating rate due to rising temperatures. This intensifies the frequency and severity of GLOF events, placing mountain communities at growing existential risk with each passing season.