Deadly storms hit Afghanistan and Pakistan, leaving at least 135 dead

Torrential rains took place in Pakistan and Afghanistan during the four days from Friday 12 April to Monday 15 April, as a capstone to the already highly unusual rainfall patterns that dominated the entire month of April. Additional rain was brought by the strong storm system that had previously affected the UAE.

The unseasonal (i.e. non-monsoon) rainfall extremes followed an unusually dry winter, occurring mainly in Afghanistan and to a lesser extent in Pakistan. The parts affected were mainly the northern parts of the two countries.

By Wednesday the death toll in both countries had risen to 135 (70 dead in Afghanistan and 65 dead in Pakistan). Notably, in Pakistan at least 28 people were killed by lightning alone.

Excluding lightning strikes, most deaths were caused by roof collapses resulting from the floods. More than 2,600 houses were destroyed or damaged in Afghanistan and 1,370 houses in Pakistan.

Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to unpredictable weather, and even more vulnerable is Afghanistan, which is also trying to recover from four decades of war.