ISLAMABAD, Jun 22: As the country continues to sizzle in a heatwave, weather experts have forecast ‘close to normal’ rain with the likely advent of monsoon in the first week of July.

“The monsoon rain this year is expected to be close to normal,” according to Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry.

He, however, said that monsoon rains would likely be 15 to 20 per cent below normal during the month of July and 15 to 20 per cent above normal during August and September.

“The overall monsoon rainfall for the period July to September is likely to be close to normal,” he added.

The met office forecast that hot weather conditions would prevail for another three days.

“At present a weather system is active over Arabian Sea which is causing rain in Sindh,” the met official said.—APP