Blistering heat to hit Pakistan this week

Met Office warns of mercury crossing 50 degree Celsius in some cities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will continue to swelter in the coming days with hot and dry weather conditions expected to prevail across the country, according to the Met Office.

Daytime temperatures in the plains of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh are likely to hover above normal and cross 45 degree Celsius. Some central parts of the country are expected to witness up to 52 degrees.

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Temperatures in the mountainous areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir will also rise this week, ultimately causing rapid melting of glaciers and snow, the Met Office warned.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a senior meteorologist said the higher temperatures in the northern areas might result in heavy flooding, similar to the last year’s experience.

The officer, who wished not to be named, said the daytime temperature in Islamabad was expected to cross 40 degrees in the upcoming week. The temperatures have already been hovering around 39 degrees.

In Larkana and Jacobabad, the mercury level has already touched 50 degree Celsius. It has been fluctuating between 51 and 53 degrees in Mohenjodaro and is expected to increase even more in the upcoming week.

“Prolonged power outages in these areas are making the situation worse, especially during the day. Excessive sweating can result in dehydration, leading to heat exhaustion,” said the meteorologist.



Over the next 48 hours, low-intensity showers are expected in isolated places of Hazara, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala divisions, but they are unlikely to bring any respite from the scorching heat.

Asif Shuja, former head of the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency, told The Express Tribune the country would continue to experience such extreme weather conditions over the next few years.

He blamed the El Niño weather phenomenon for the harsh conditions, saying its impact in Pakistan was causing extreme weather patterns.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2016.