28 April 2005	Thursday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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LAHORE, April 27: Rain and hailstorm, preceded by a windstorm of medium intensity, lashed the city on Wednesday morning, lowering the maximum temperature from Tuesday’s 34.4 degrees to 28.2 degrees Celsius. The Met office also reported light rain in Islamabad, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum. It was caused by a westerly system that centred over Dir (NWFP), giving 80mm of rain there, it said.

Chief Meteorologist Shaukat Awan said another westerly system over western Iran would bring more rain to parts of the NWFP, the Northern Areas and northern Punjab in two to three days’ time. A third system is likely to give continuity to the rainy spell after May 4, he said.

Lahore’s average maximum temperature in April is around 40 degrees Celsius. But this year, it managed to remain below 30 degrees for much of the month owing to a rain now and then.

“So far it has been a wet summer and if the pattern of intermittent rain continues, we may have a year without a summer. The phenomenon was reported in Pakistan and in the US in 1985,” Mr Awan said.

He said there was no danger to the wheat and cotton crops as the weather system gave rain only in a few cities of northern Punjab. There was no rain in the wheat growing areas in the south, he said.

The windstorm lashed the city at around 4.30am. Having a velocity of 64km per hour, it was followed by a drizzle. The rain got heavier at around 7.15am. It was brief but heavy and was coupled with a hailstorm in many localities.

The rain created problems for schoolchildren, especially those travelling by motorcycles. Morning walkers had to skip their daily routine, and policemen were seen wearing their raincoats while on duty.

It also drizzled in some parts of the city at around 1pm and then again in the evening. Weather remained pleasant and many people did not feel the need to use fans during the day. There was a nip in the air in the evening, felt most by motorcyclists.

By 5pm the local Met office had recorded 11mm of rain at its Jail Road observatory and 8mm at the airport.

The minimum temperature in Lahore was 16.9 degrees C with 75 per cent humidity in the morning and 45 per cent in the evening. The Met office has forecast chances of more rain in Lahore and Sargodha districts during the next 24 hours.