LAHORE: A mix of high temperatures and humidity on Sunday created mugginess beyond the tolerance level of people in Lahore and other cities in Punjab.

The only hope of relief was rain which never came despite partly cloudy weather. And enhanced loadshedding added to the miseries of people.

In Lahore, the maximum temperature was 41 degrees Celsius whose impact was much more because of 42pc humidity in the air. Wind was hot and humid. There was also no respite last (Saturday) night as the minimum temperature was 30 degrees C.

Lahore canal again served as the sole protector of a large number of people against the energy-sapping mugginess. Even women and children were seen beating the heat in the dirty but cool water of the canal almost the entire day.

The Flood Forecasting Division said there were chances of rain in the city on Monday morning. It expected scattered thunderstorm, rain with isolated moderate falls over upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Gujranwala divisions) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including upper catchments of the rivers Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej during the next 24 hours.

The real relief is expected from Tuesday in the shape of widespread thunderstorm, rain with scattered heavy falls over upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir including upper catchments of the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej.

The FFD said the rivers Jhelum and Chenab were likely to attain medium to high flood from Tuesday to Thursday. Medium flooding was also expected in the nullahs of the rivers Ravi and Chenab, besides urban flooding in Lahore and Sialkot during the same period.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2015

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