Winds, thundershowers, and dust storms expected in Punjab, Islamabad from May 2 to 4
Pakistan Meteorological Department has announced that the recent heatwave of Pakistan is likely to subside during the Eid holidays, after May 1, when rain with strong winds is expected in most parts of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.
The meteorological department has given the following forecast for the first week of May:
- Dust storms expected in most parts of Sindh including Karachi from May 1 to 2
- Winds, thundershowers, and dust storms are expected in many parts of Punjab including Islamabad from May 2 to 4 with a chance of light rain
- Rains with strong winds and thundershowers are expected in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from May 1 to 5
- Landslides are expected in Gilgit-Baltistan from May 2 to 5.
Heatwave alert issued to all provinces
Ministry of Climate Change issued an extreme heatwave alert to all provinces, foreseeing a rise in temperatures by six to eight degrees Celsius above average in the country this year.
“Pakistan has been facing an unexpected heatwave since March. Temperatures in the border areas of Pakistan and India are expected to rise to 49 to 50 degrees Celsius,” the Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman said.
According to the Senator, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had made an announcement declaring March 2022 as the hottest month since 1961.
“In March alone, rainfall was recorded at 62% less than normal. In the year 2018, Nawabshah became the hottest city in the world in the month of April when the mercury went above 50 degrees Celsius,” she stated.
The last day of April 2021 witnessed the temperature reaching 49C in Jacobabad, Pakistan.
Long power cuts
The long hours of loadshedding across the country have made early summers unbearable as temperatures continue to rise. Citizens have complained of around 6 to 10 hours of outages in urban areas, while those in rural parts of the country are enduring 8 to 16 hours of power outages.
The country is facing a shortfall ranging between 7,000 to 8,000MW due to a decline in power generation by thermal plants owing to a severe shortage of gas and other fuels.
Heatwave advisory by MET office
Earlier, on Tuesday, PMD announced that a new heatwave is expected to hit the cities and villages across the country this week, with daytime temperatures expected to be six to eight degrees Celsius above normal. Met Office said the heatwave may persist from April 26 to May 2.
The meteorological department added that daytime temperatures are likely to rise steadily in most parts of the country in the coming days due to high wind pressure. While aquifers, standing crops, vegetables and orchards are at risk of water shortage due to prolonged drought and an increase in the intensity of heat.
