Nearly 50 years of precipitation records were broken as the city of Sialkot was pounded by record-breaking rainfall, leaving it submerged.
Within a 24-hour period, the Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded between 363.5 and 405 mm of rain, breaking the previous record of 339.7 mm set in 1976.
Authorities had to declare a public holiday as a result of the deluge that flooded government offices, bus stops, markets, and residential areas, severely disrupting daily life.
While roads in Rangpura, Shahab Pura, Defence Road, and Kareem Pura were submerged in several feet of water, causing rescue teams to use boats for evacuations, several areas experienced disruptions in power supply and internet services.
The surrounding farmland and low-lying areas flooded, cutting off more than 85 villages in the Tawi belt.
When Nullah Aik, which was built to carry 25,000 cusecs, swelled to almost twice its capacity, the flooding got worse. Additionally, levels in Punjab's rivers, such as the Chenab, Sutlej, and Ravi, were dangerously high.
While the Sutlej and Ravi experienced flood peaks not seen in decades, the Chenab surged to over 902,000 cusecs at Head Marala, approaching its 1.1 million cusec capacity.
India's discharge of water into eastern rivers worsened the situation by increasing flooding downstream. Authorities proclaimed a district-wide emergency and enforced Section 144, which limited access to rivers, streams, and bridges.
To support relief efforts throughout Punjab, the military, Rescue 1122, and PDMA were sent in.
Read More: PM Shehbaz, CM Maryam inspect flood-hit areas in Punjab
In Sialkot, stranded residents were reached by boats and heavy equipment, while over 210,000 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas.
Over 100 employees were trapped when the project management unit in Kartarpur was also submerged.
Widespread destruction has resulted from the extraordinary rainfall, and as more intense rains are predicted for the upper Chenab and Ravi catchments, concerns about additional flooding are growing.
