LAHORE, Aug 18: The country is likely to have another spell of heavy rains because of an approaching monsoon depression, the Met office reported on Friday.

A monsoon low is already giving heavy rains in Sindh and Balochistan, including Karachi. Punjab, the NWFP and the Northern areas are having scattered rainfall because of the incursion of monsoon moisture.

The Met office said well-marked monsoon low over Orissa (India) moved on Friday in a west-northwest direction (towards Pakistan) and it lay over Madhya Pradesh as depression. It was likely to move ahead in the same direction in the next 24 hours after which it would be determined whether it would affect Sindh and Balochistan or Punjab and the catchments of the major rivers.

The Met office forecast fairly widespread rain with isolated heavy showers over Sindh and adjoining Balochistan during the next 24 hours. Isolated rain may occur over the NWFP and upper catchments of all the major rivers.

There were also chances of thunderstorm and rain in Lahore where the maximum temperature was 38 degrees C and the minimum 27 degrees C on Friday with 67 per cent humidity in the morning and 66 per cent in the evening. — Staff Reporter