Pleasant change: Fresh spell of rain cools down twin cities

Pakistan Meteorological Department says rain to continue till Saturday.

ISLAMABAD: Intermittent rain in the twin cities on Friday turned the weather pleasant, while Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the rain is likely to continue till Saturday morning due to the westerly wave affecting the central and eastern parts of the country.

The rain on Friday came as a respite for inhabitants of the twin cities and provided them an opportunity to visit picnic spots, restaurants and other recreational places as the weather turned pleasant. During the last couple of weeks, the weather had turned mildly warm during the day, but took another cool turn following the rain.

“It is always good to hang out with one’s family in such a beautiful weather,” said Jamal Khan a resident of Rawalpindi who had come to dine at a local cafeteria in Daman-e-Koh, adding that they were overjoyed that rain had turned the weather pleasant again.

PMD expects rain with thunderstorm at scattered locations around Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Hazara divisions, Islamabad, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan during the next 24 hours, while isolated rain in Malakand, Mardan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Sukkur are also expected.

Dry weather is expected in most plain areas of the country during next 48 hours.

The last 24 hours have seen weather remaining cold and dry in much of the country. However, rain and thunderstorm occurred at isolated places in Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Murree, Khanpur and Rahim Yar Khan. The maximum rainfall recorded in Bahawalpur was 4mm, followed by Bahawalnagar and Rawalakot with 3mm, Murree with 2mm, and Khanpur and Rahim Yar Khan with one mm.

Westerly waves also brought about temperature below minus degree centigrade in some parts of the country including Parachinar at -5 Celcius (C), Skardu -4 C, Kalam, Gupis, Astore -3 C, Dir, Malamjabba, Zhob -2 C and Gilgit-1 C.

Respite in flu; dengue returns 

The rain has also brought a decrease in flu cases in Rawalpindi. Public hospitals have received no new influenza patient over the past two days.

The change is bittersweet, as the respite in flu cases has been cancelled out by the return of dengue season. The authorities have found dengue larva at five places in the district since February 15.

The district health department has decided to carry out anti-dengue campaigns in cantt areas, which reported most of the dengue cases last year.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2016.