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Forty-five people have been killed and 74 injured in Afghanistan and Pakistan due to a 1,000 kilometre rain band stretching from Afghanistan through Pakistan and deep into India.
In Afghanistan, most deaths have been reported from the central and eastern provinces, including Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Daykundi and Logar, Reuters reported.
The deaths have been caused by torrential rain that triggered flash floods and landslides, completely destroying 130 homes, Reuters said, citing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.
Conditions were “unstable” in parts of the country on March 30, with continued risk of further rain and flooding in some areas.
A total of 1,140 families have been affected, Reuters cited NDMA as saying.
Meanwhile, 17 people, including 14 children have been killed in neighbouring Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Twenty-five have also been injured, according to Reuters as roofs and walls of houses collapsed due to heavy rains.
The extreme weather has been blamed on the trough which has brought intense rainfall, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and even hailstorms.
According to NDTV, the trough differs from usual Western Disturbances, which are extra tropical storms originating in the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas and bring snow and winter rain to Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwest India. These curve northeast and peak in winter. The current trough though is straight. Western Disturbances have also been reported to have grown erratic in recent years due to climate change and global warming.
The storm system has also already triggered heavy to very heavy rain in the sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, heavy showers in south Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and hailstorms in multiple states.