Overview

• Since June, around 800 people have died in rains and flash floods that have displaced thousands and wrecked homes and crops across Pakistan.
• The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts the monsoon will persist until about September 15, with two additional rain spells expected in the coming weeks.
• Scientists point to rapid glacier melt and hard-to-forecast cloudbursts as drivers of more erratic and intense rainfall over mountainous terrain.
• Officials and analysts say illegal construction, clogged drains, deforestation and mining have magnified damage, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decrying permitting abuses.
• The weather service acknowledges communication gaps in highland areas and is expanding radar coverage and automatic weather stations with World Bank support to improve warnings.