The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has given hope to residents in the upper central regions of the country as they expect rainfall in the coming days. This is due to the westerly winds which will bring intermittent showers throughout the upcoming week.
As per the recent forecasts, there is a high chance of rain in various parts of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, and Kohat.
The Met Office has indicated that Islamabad, Murree, Galyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, and several areas in Punjab such as Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, and Bhakkar can expect thunderstorms and rainfall from 23 to 26 May. Similarly, Balochistan and Upper Sindh may experience precipitation from 22 to 24 May.
Apart from providing relief from the heat, these showers are expected to reduce the intensity of the ongoing heat wave across the country. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued warnings regarding extreme weather events including intense heatwaves, snow melting, landslides, flash floods, forest fires, and cyclones.
In an official letter to all provincial governments, NDMA has stressed the need for exceptional preparations to face possible extreme weather events from April to October. The department has instructed all Disaster Management (DM) authorities and stakeholders to release impact-based alerts and advisories specific to each region to enable timely proactive preparations.
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPRACO) and PMD have been ordered to monitor changes in glacier melt-vulnerable sites known as ‘glacier lake outburst floods’ (GLOFs). They will continue to assess the likely impact of these developments on river flows downstream and water reservoirs providing monitoring reports every two weeks.
In addition to PDMA Sindh Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, it has been communicated that the PMD has forecasted higher temperatures in northern regions and along the coastal belt during the period from May to July.
