ISLAMABAD: Regular rain showers, in the month of April, contained the surge of mercury in Northern Punjab and the federal capital. However, the Met Office has predicted that May is likely to remain dry and the temperature will rise significantly.

“The sudden shift in temperature will be uncomfortable for people. May is the driest month of the year and the temperature will rise up to 40 degrees in the first week. Dust storms are also expected in some areas,” an official of the Met Office said.

The third spell of rain is likely to continue on Wednesday and Thursday and more rains are expected during the remaining month so the weather will remain pleasant, the official said.

Rawalpindi and Islamabad received around 10mm of rainfall, Murree received 25mm and the spillways of the Rawal Lake were opened on Wednesday night to accommodate additional water.

The Met Office has forecast that a cool and moist wave from the North West is entering Pakistan and bringing rain. The wave which already brought rain to the upper parts of the country is likely to persist until Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the heavy downpour reduced the temperature from 31C on the previous day to 21C on Wednesday.

The Met Office official said that the average temperature during April is likely to remain between 16C and 28C and the weather is likely to remain cool with frequent showers during the month. “Chances of dust storms are negligible,” the official said.

He said that since winters were delayed by an entire month this year, temperature is likely to remain cool in April.

On the contrary, the month of May will witness a sharp rise in temperatures. “Such high temperatures are normal in May but people will feel more uncomfortable because the transitional spring weather, characteristic of April, has not been witnessed since last year,” the official added.

The rise in temperatures is also expected to cause a massive rise in power consumption and subsequently electricity loadshedding.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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