Light showers end severe heatwave in twin cities

Residents breathe sigh of relief as strong winds sweep away scorching temperatures

RAWALPINDI:

The cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad received light rain with strong winds on Monday, ending the severe heatwave that had gripped the twin cities for the past several days.

The temperature dropped from 42 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius. The pleasant change brought relief to the citizens.

According to the Met Office, light rain and strong winds caused a significant drop in temperature. The temperature had risen to 42 degrees Celsius at 2pm yesterday, causing discomfort to the citizens. However, the sudden change in weather brought relief and the temperature dropped to 34 degrees Celsius by 7pm.

Light to moderate rain was recorded in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Jhelum, Gujjar Khan, Kallar Syedan, and other adjacent areas.

The Met Office has forecast more rain in the next 24 hours in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galyat, Kallar Syedan and surrounding northern areas, which may further break the heatwave.

Meanwhile, the strong winds which accompanied the rains also affected the power supply in several areas, due to a cable fault in the 132KV grid station in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, and the 11KV National Market feeder.

The affected feeders included Abu Bakar, C-Block, Asghar Mall, and Sadiqabad. According to a spokesperson for IESCO, work was underway to repair the fault and the power supply was expected to be restored by 8pm.

The IESCO spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience caused by the temporary power outage.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2024.