Summer relief: Pre-monsoon rains likely to continue through the week

Monsoon season to begin first week of July; PRCS chalk out strategy to deal with floods.

ISLAMABAD:

The capital’s residents breathed a little easier on Tuesday as a dust storm followed by mild rain broke the prolonged spell of heat. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the capital and other areas of Punjab are expected to see rain throughout the week.

PMD Director-General Arif Mehmood while speaking to The Express Tribune said that the pre-monsoon rains, which had already begun in Lahore, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday, would continue till around June 16, and begin in Sindh from June 17.

“In Lahore, there was a dust storm followed by rain. We are expecting to witness a similar weather pattern in parts of Punjab and Islamabad,” he said.

The unbearable heat and unscheduled loadshedding of up to 12 hours a day has been taking a toll on people. Sara Rafi, a resident of the capital, said the heat was reducing efficiency and productivity. “I feel like I am wasting days,” she said.

According to Mehmood, the monsoon season is expected to begin in the first week of July and will continue for three months.

PRCS preparedness

Meanwhile, Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has chalked out a strategy to mitigate potential damage due to flooding.

PRCS has prepared a comprehensive plan for thousands of families in the event of a disaster.

According to a statement issued by PRCS, the society has been holding meetings with other disaster relief agencies to ensure better coordination.

PRCS has recently trained hundreds of volunteers to deal with challenges and sensitised communities in their respective areas.

PRCS Chairman Major General (retd) Muhammad Nawaz Khan said that the society’s 92 district branches, 43 Disaster Management Cells, medical units and thousands of volunteers along with 443 trained disaster relief training members have started to make preparations in anticipation of the monsoon season.

PMD will be releasing monsoon forecasts within the next few days.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.