ISLAMABAD: The heat index of Rawalpindi and Islamabad hit 45 degrees Celsius on Saturday with the Met Office warning that the situation could worsen by noon on Sunday.

Mercury levels rose to 43 degrees Celsius in Rawalpindi and 42 degrees in Islamabad.

“The heat index is what the temperature feels like, and is derived from calculations based on the temperature, humidity and wind speed at one time,” said a Met Office official. “The wind speed was very low on Saturday, and so the feeling was severe.”

The official said this was unusual as the average highest temperature in May is 36 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office has warned of very hot and dry weather conditions across the country on Sunday. However, most of upper Punjab, the Hazara division and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will breathe a sigh of relief from Sunday night.

Thunderstorms and gusts of wind are expected in the twin cities from Sunday evening.

Very hot and dry weather is expected over most of the country, including the plains of Punjab, KP and Sindh, such as in Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions and Sibbi and Makran divisions.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2016