Sweltering heatwave sweeps across Punjab

Met office forecasts temperature to increase in the coming days

SIALKOT/ GUJRANWALA: A severe heat wave is sweeping across parts of Punjab, with temperatures reaching up to 44 degrees Celsius on Monday.

In different cities, including Gujranwala, Sialkot, Malakwal and Sambrial, reported that the scorching heat reduced traffic on roads, leaving markets deserted with people preferring to shop in the evening. People traveling on motorcycles and public transport are also facing a tough time, reported Express News .

In most areas, people have found a foolproof way of beating the heat by jumping into cool waters of canals. Hundreds of people, frustrated with the heat and load-shedding, were sitting at the side of the canal with their feet dipped in the water.



Adding to the misery, people are faced with more frequent power cuts as the demand for electricity also increased. Unscheduled outages have made the lives of people miserable and the supply of water in most districts has also been affected due to the lengthy power cuts.

The meteorological department has forecast the current heat wave will continue and may increase in June until monsoon rains begin in July. They urged people to seek shelter as the temperature could hit 44 degrees Celsius in the coming days, sparking fears of widespread heatstroke during Ramazan.

The met office warned the sweltering heat would continue throughout the week, forecasting daytime temperatures of between 40-45 degrees.

The temperature recorded in different cities are: Rahim Yar Khan 44 degrees, Sialkot 42 degrees, Malakwal 42 degrees, Sambrial 42 degrees, Bahawalpur 43 degrees, Multan 42 degrees, Dera Ghazi Khan 42 degrees and Sargodha 42 degrees.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2018.