ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an urgent high-alert warning for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) across Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as intense heatwaves trigger rapid ice melt.
The Met Office expects soaring temperatures to persist until the first week of July. This significant warming trend is rapidly accelerating snow and glacial melt within vulnerable valleys, causing existing lakes to expand and threatening the formation of unstable new ones.
People in Gilgit-Baltistan and KP face a higher flood risk as PMD has issued a glacial lake outburst flood alert through the first week of July 🧵 pic.twitter.com/kUxYbz09my
— ProPakistani (@ProPakistaniPK) June 27, 2026
Downstream locations and low-lying communities adjacent to riverbeds face high risks of sudden inundation. Authorities warn that the rapid expansion of these glacial lakes could easily destabilize natural ice or moraine dams, unleashing severe flash floods and heavy debris down mountain slopes.
Simultaneously, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a landslide, rockfall, and mudslide alert spanning GB, upper KP, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) effective from June 27 to July 3.
Heavy transit routes, including the critical Karakoram Highway (KKH/N-35) and the Jaglot-Skardu Road (JSR), are expected to experience temporary closures due to sudden debris flows. Tourists and locals are strongly advised to avoid camping or trekking near active glacial paths.
In response, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has directed the deputy commissioners of Upper and Lower Chitral, Dir Upper, Swat, Kohistan, and Mansehra to enforce immediate precautionary measures.
Local administrations are currently conducting proactive surveillance of vulnerable sites and preparing fully stocked evacuation shelters. The emergency directive follows recent data from Suparco, which identified 130 potentially hazardous glacial lakes threatening downstream populations.
