LAHORE: The four-day spell of pre-monsoon rains began from Rawalpindi division and the layer of dust over Lahore further thickened on Friday, shielding sun from blazing over the city.

Rain in Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad was expected on Friday night. Eid days will be rainy days. Some cities like north-eastern Punjab from Rawalpindi to Lahore may receive heavy spells during the period.

The Met department said the amount of dust, being carried into Lahore and other adjoining cities from the moist easterly wind from the Arabian Sea for the past two days, increased. It remained suspended into the air because of the extra moisture, keeping the city dusty and visibility reduced, also creating problems for people having respiratory problems.

Pre-monsoon rains begin in Pindi division

It said the flow of moisture from the Arabian Sea also intensified and it was penetrating into upper and central parts of the country. A westerly wave that was pulling the moisture in was likely to persist in the next three days.

The Met department said the first pre-monsoon rain began in the Rawalpindi division because of its relatively low temperatures. Islamabad received heavy showers -- (Bokra 42mm, Golra 33, Zero point 31 and Saidpur 21). Rawalpindi recorded 34, Murree 10, Garidupatta in Azad Kashmir 24, Muzaffarabad 23, Rawalakot 11, Kohat 20, Kakul 16, Balakot 6 and Dir 5.

It nevertheless remained very hot in most parts of the country, especially in Sindh. The maximum temperature in Sibbi was 50 degrees Celsius, Jaccobabad 48, and Dadu, Larkana 47.

The maximum temperature in major Punjab cities remained slightly low. It was 38 degrees Celsius in Lahore and Sargodha, 39 in Multan and 37 in Faisalabad.

The Met department forecast mainly very hot and dry weather in most parts of the country particularly in Sindh in the next 24 hours. However, rain-thundershower with gusty winds/dust storm is expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha divisions, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2018