LAHORE, June 30: Many cities in the Punjab, including Lahore, are in the grip of extremely hot and humid weather because of the absence of any active monsoon current or a westerly wave during the past three days.

The sunny days have increased the maximum temperatures in the plains of the province, which were lowered because of the pre-monsoon rains after June 13. In Lahore, the maximum temperature was 41.2 degrees C on Wednesday with 48 per cent humidity in the morning and 32 per cent in the evening.

The minimum temperature during last night was 30.7 degrees C providing no relief to the people. The maximum temperature in Islamabad was 39.4 degrees C, Dera Ghazi Khan 43, Faisalabad 39.6, Bahawalpur 43, Khanpur 41.5, Multan 42, Jhelum 43.6, Sargodha 42.1 and Bahawalnagar 42.8 degrees C.

According to Chief Meteorologist Shaukat Ali Awan, a westerly wave over north of Iran would reach Pakistan's northern areas in two days, bringing in chances of rain there and over the hilly areas.

At present, he said, there was no significant monsoon current from either the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. Weather was hot and dry over the region from Northern India to Iran.

Mr Awan said the seasonal low, which pulls the monsoon current, had also been shifted over to Western Iran, diminishing chances of any significant rain in any part of the country during the next 24 hors.

He, however, hoped that there might be some monsoon activity during the first week of July, marking the beginning of the rainy season in Pakistan. He said many cities in the Punjab had received above normal pre-monsoon rains from June 15 to 30.

Lahore received 72mm of rain during this period against the average figure of 36mm. Meanwhile, the local Met office has predicted scattered thunderstorm and rain in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Sargodha divisions during the next 24 hours. It will remain partly cloudy in Lahore and Faisalabad divisions.