ISLAMABAD: The Meteorological Department issued a severe heatwave warning on Thursday, predicting dust storms, thunderstorms, and heavy showers in the country’s northern regions during the next ten days.
The advice cautioned that majority of the country will experience heatwave conditions due to high pressure in the upper atmosphere, with Punjab and Sindh seeing particularly severe heatwave conditions from May 21 to May 27.
In Sindh and Punjab, daytime highs are “likely to remain 4 to 6 degrees centigrade above normal” from May 21 to May 23, and six to eight degrees Celsius from May 23 to May 27.
Daytime highs of four to six degrees Celsius are predicted for Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan between May 21 and May 27.
The caution urged officials to deal with the hot spell by staying vigilant and taking appropriate action.
A heatwave is defined by Dr. Muhammad Afzaal, the director of Research and Development at the PMD in Islamabad, as temperatures that are five degrees Celsius above the average for three or more days.
Thunderstorms and rain
A shallow westerly wave was predicted to impact the country’s top regions on May 16 during the evening and night, according to the Met office advisory.
This weather system was predicted to cause dust storms, thunderstorms, and sporadic downpours in Quetta, Zhob, Ziarat, Sherani, Barkhan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Kharan, and Mastung between May 16 and May 19.
Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Waziristan, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Karak, Khyber, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, and Kurram are all predicted to have similar weather in KP between May 16 and May 19.
Rain, wind, and thunderstorms were predicted in GB and Azad Kashmir from May 16 to May 19 in the following locations: Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar, Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, and Mirpur.
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, and Mianwali are anticipated to have rain, dust storm, and thunderstorm in Punjab from May 16 to 18.
On May 17 and 18, the weather is predicted in Sindh for Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, and Dadu.
Farmers have been cautioned by the Met Office about potential effects on crops and are urged to prepare. It has been recommended that people drink water and limit their exposure to direct sunshine.
In Punjab, KP, and northeastern Balochistan, there is a risk of bushfires or forest fires due to the excessively dry and hot weather.
