Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds, thunder and hailstorms swept through Lahore and several other Punjab cities on Thursday evening, breaking a prolonged heatwave that had gripped the region for days.

The downpour hit Lahore, Patoki and Narowal, among other cities, bringing temperatures down sharply after intense daytime heat. Strong gusts ahead of the rain knocked down trees and utility poles in parts of Lahore and surrounding areas.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further rainfall for Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Murree in the coming hours, as the weather system moves across the region.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the met office has warned of stormy rain and hailstorms beginning Thursday, prompting the Provincial Disaster Management Authority to issue a formal alert.

The upper districts of Malakand and Hazara divisions are expected to bear the brunt, with Chitral, Dir, Swat and Abbottabad also in the path of heavy rain and hail.

PDMA has flagged risks of landslides and flash flooding in vulnerable areas and directed relevant agencies to remain on standby.

The alert also covers Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, where dust storms and rain are likely. Authorities have been instructed to stay on high alert as conditions develop.

In Karak and its outskirts, rainfall accompanied by strong winds has already been recorded, with residents reporting a marked improvement in temperatures following weeks of heatwave conditions.