PESHAWAR: Authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have issued a high weather alert for November 4 and 5, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall in multiple districts already recovering from devastating floods earlier this year.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the incoming weather system poses a “significant risk,” particularly in mountainous areas weakened by the August 2025 cloudburst disaster that claimed nearly 400 lives across the province.
“This is not a routine weather advisory,” the PDMA said in its alert. “Given recent damage to terrain and infrastructure, even moderate rainfall may trigger landslides and disrupt mobility and essential services.”
The weather system is expected to affect nearly the entire province.
Rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall are forecast in northern districts including Upper and Lower Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, and Mohmand.
Rain and thunderstorms are also likely in central and southern areas such as Peshawar, Kohat, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North and South Waziristan, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan.
Saeda Saleh, a meteorologist with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said the system is being driven by “western winds,” adding that authorities have urged the public to remain alert.
“People should stay cautious, especially in areas where the land is still unstable,” she said.
Officials fear that already weakened slopes in flood-affected districts could give way. The Met Office has specifically warned of possible landslides in Abbottabad, Battagram, Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, Kurram, Shangla, and Swat, many of the same regions heavily impacted in August.
In response, PDMA has directed all district administrations to activate emergency protocols, including “cleaning of drainage systems to prevent urban flooding” and ensuring “full readiness of emergency response teams” for rapid deployment. Authorities have also been instructed to issue timely alerts to residents and travelers, particularly in high-risk valleys.
Residents have been strongly advised to avoid non-essential travel during the weather spell. Farmers and livestock owners, who suffered severe losses in the August floods, have been urged to move animals and stored crops to safer areas as a precautionary measure.
PDMA said it will continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as the system approaches.
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