RAWALPINDI: The Met office has forecast another unusual rainy spell this week as westerly waves accompanied by rain and gusty winds will enter the country on Saturday.

Talking to Dawn, Chief Meteorologist Dr. Ghulam Rasul said that the abnormal heating on the surface of Atlantic Ocean shifted the westerly waves track from high latitude to lower and created unusual weather pattern in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Iran.

He said that late arrival of winter was the result of global warming.

“In routine, the winter rain started in October, November, December and January but in recent past, the rains and snowfall over hills started in the mid February and it would continue till April and May,” he said.

He said that farmers should follow the advisory of Met Office before harvesting the wheat crop as rain, gusty winds and hailstorm would affect their cash crop.

He said the harvesting season started in the Punjab in May and in Sindh, the season started next month and there were chances of hailstorm and gusty winds.     

To a question about flooding, he said there was no chance of flooding in urban areas like Rawalpindi and Islamabad but heavy rains and snow fall over the hill were expected.

According to a press note, the Met office predicted more rain-thundershowers in the country from coming weekend.

Such unusual rains may continue with intervals over upper parts of the country during next week.

It informed that an active weather system (westerly wave) is expected to enter Pakistan on Saturday.

Under the influence of this weather system, first spell of rain-thundershowers is expected at scattered places of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, North Balochistan (Quetta, Zhob divisions), Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir on Saturday/Sunday.

The other spell of rain-thundershowers over the same areas of the country is predicted during the next week.

During these spells, rains may be accompanied by strong gusty winds and isolated heavy falls in (Malakand, Mardan Peshawar, Hazara divisions), Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the period.

Heavy downpour may generate flash flooding in the local ravines of Upper KP (Malakand, Hazara, Mardan, Peshawar divisions).

Due to heavy rains, there is high probability of landslides in the vulnerable areas of Upper KP (Malakand, Hazara divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the period.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play