Pre-monsoon rains soon, predicts Met office

MD Rasul says rain spells are expected in upper Punjab, K-P, Islamabad and G-B in coming days

ISLAMABAD: The Met office on Thursday predicted pre-monsoon rains to begin in most parts of the country in the last week of June – during Eidul Fitr holidays.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Meteorological Department Director General Dr Ghulam Rasul said, “In the coming days a few rain spells are expected in upper Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), which will bring down the temperature letting people enjoy the last week of Ramazan followed by Eid holidays.”

Mostly these rain spells will start late in the evenings and continue till early morning, he added.



Rasul said, “Temperatures will keep fluctuating between 35° Celsius to 40° Celsius with showers, thunderstorm, hailstorm and gusty winds in the said areas.”

There will be a few showers of low intensity during the beginning of the pre-monsoon season; however, the intensity will actually increase from the first week of July, he predicted.

“Usually the weather remains hot and dry in June, but this year it remained both hot as well as wet, which is being considered as an unusual weather pattern,” he said.



“The temperature remained high and kept fluctuating between 46° Celsius and 50° Celsius in Sibbi, Nokkundi, Dalbandin, Larkana, Dadu, Noorpur Thal, Bhakkar, Jacobabad and Shaheed Benazirabad,” Rasul said, adding that Islamabad, upper Punjab, K-P, Kashmir and G-B were receiving showers after every two to three days.

Commenting on the impact of climate change, he said, “April and May have turned out to be the hottest months recorded so far this year.”

He said, “Mixed weather - high temperature followed by showers and gusty winds – made it easier for people to fast during Ramazan.”