LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) —Pakistan's eastern Punjab provinceis dealing with the biggest flood in its history, a senior official said Sunday, as water levels of rivers rise to all-time highs. Global warminghas worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countriesmost vulnerableto climate change. Downpours andcloudburstshave triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months. Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well ascross-border floodingafter India released water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan's low-lying regions. The senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday: "This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected two million people. It's the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water." Local authorities are using educational institutions, police, and security facilities as rescue camps, and evacuating people, including by boat, she said. "The Foreign Ministry is collecting data regarding India's deliberate release of water into Pakistan," added Aurangzeb. There was no immediate comment from India. India alerted its neighbor to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the firstpublic diplomatic contactbetween the two countries sincea crisis brought them close to warin May. Punjab, home to some 150 million people, is a vital part of the country's agricultural sector and isPakistan's main wheat producer. Ferocious flooding in 2022 wiped out huge swaths of crops in the east and south of the country, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif towarn that his countryfaced food shortages. Figures from Pakistan's national weather center show that Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rain between July 1 and August 27 compared to the same period last year. The country's disaster management authority said 849 people have been killed and 1,130 injured nationwide in rain-related incidents since June 26. Pakistan's monsoon season usually runs to the end of September.