March poised to record unprecedented rainfall

PMD expects 10-30mm rain in coming days

ISLAMABAD: A new spell of spring rains started in the country on Wednesday which is likely to continue for four days till Sunday. During this spell, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) is expecting an average rainfall of 10-30 mm per day in most of the country.

In some areas, heavy rains are expected with thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorm. According to Met office rainfall may cross 100mm per day limit in regions including Malakand Division, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Abbottabad, Haripur, Besham, Kalam, Malam Jabba, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Kashmir.



“The mountains of 4,000 metre (13,000 feet) or higher elevations are likely to receive heavy snowfall during the next four days. As the previous week’s snowfall is still intact, the additional snowfall can cause avalanches,” the PMD Director General Dr Ghulam Rasul told The Express Tribune.



The soil is already saturated and the fresh spell of rains may increase risk of landslides and flash flooding particularly in Kashmir and the G-B, he added.

According to the PMD, a fresh westerly wave is affecting western parts of the country including the upper parts of Balochistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). This wave is likely to spread over Punjab, the K-P, the G-B and Kashmir on Thursday and is likely to persist till Sunday.

The PMD rainfall statement shows unprecedented rainfall so far in March this year.

During the sixteen days from March 1 to March 16, Islamabad received 149mm against the normal 87.7mm; Faisalabad 126.1mm against 92.4mm; Jhelum 98.3mm against 65.9mm; Sialkot 87.1mm against 52.8mm; Sargodha 133.1mm against 32.4mm and Mandi Bahauddin 122mm against 33.9mm.

Bannu has received 59mm against 29.8mm; Kotli (AJK) 130mm against 128.5mm; Rawalakot 230.1mm against 165.8mm; Cherat 185mm against 90.5mm and Malam Jabba 284mm against 76.4mm.



Different districts of Balochistan have also witnessed more rains this March. So far, Dalbandin has received 284mm against 76.4mm; Kalat 70mm against 31.6mm; Khuzdar 66.6mm against 31.6mm; Lesbella 15.4mm against 9.1mm; Nok Kundi 11.7mm against 9.4mm; Panjgur 30mm against 15.2mm; Quetta 67.4mm against 53.2mm; Sibbi 25.1 mm against 22.2mm and Zhob 52mm against 43.5mm.

Sindh’s different areas have also received an increased shower during the period. The PMD said Badin received 1.0mm as compared to the usual 0.4mm, Larkana 26mm, Rohri 9.1mm, Sukkur 19.1mm, Larkana 24.2mm and Dadu 19mm.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2016.