Islamabad, April 16 (IANS): At least 50 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Pakistan in the past four days.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked emergency services to be vigilant as more severe weather moves in.

At least 21 people, including seven children, were killed when lightning struck in central Punjab province.

Another 21 people were killed in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least eight perished in the southern province of Balochistan.

The weather has put the harvesting of wheat crops on hold in Punjab. It is feared that the upcoming spell of rains starting from Thursday will not only further delay the harvesting but will also do damage to the crop.

Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and flooding are unusual in the South Asian region, one of the most populous in the world, outside of the monsoon season between July and September.

Pakistan is responsible for less than 1 per cent of global carbon emissions, but is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.

More than 2,000 people were killed by catastrophic floods and subsequent outbreaks of diseases in Pakistan in 2022 when a third of the country was submerged, affecting 33 million people.