Chilly weather to persist: Expect the sun next month

Met Office forecasts rain in February

MULTAN: Dense fog and chilly weather are expected to persist till the end of January, officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

Duty Forecast Officer Muhammad Foujdaar said that the visibility was recorded at 800 metres to one kilometre in the morning. He said the fog will start to dissipate starting in the beginning of February, however, the chill will lift from the middle of February. He said a wet spell was recorded this month, however, unlike in previous years, light rain showers had occurred in scattered areas of the province this year. The meteorological officer said people should brace for a rainy spell in the coming month. The dreary weather will end from middle of February.   Agriculture (Extension) Assistant Director Naveed Asmat Kahloon said the foggy weather would augur well for the wheat crop as it boosts the crop’s tillering capacity (A tiller is a stem produced by grass plants, and refers to all shoots that grow after the initial parent shoot grows from a seed).

Kahloon said the weather was not good for fodder, mango and vegetables because it stunted their growth. He urged mango growers to irrigate the orchard to stave off any negative effects of foggy weather.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2016.