LAHORE: It remained very hot and dry in most parts of the country on Thursday with Sukkur recording its highest-ever maximum temperature of April.

However, dust-thunderstorm and rain occurred at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara divisions, upper Fata, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The hottest place in the country was Larkana where the maximum temperature was 49.5 degrees Celsius. Sukkur’s maximum temperature was 49 degrees Celsius, its highest ever of the month, as against its previous 46.5 degrees Celsius recorded in 2000.

Moenjodaro and Dadu also recorded 49 degrees Celsius, Jacobabad, Sibbi, Padidan 48°C, Khanpur 47°C, Rohri, Noorpur Thal, Bahawalnagar and R Y Khan 46°C.

Lahore’s maximum temperature was 43 degrees Celsius. The heat index on roads was much more due to hot winds.

The Met department said a shallow westerly wave produced rain over different cities over the upper parts f the country. Parachinar received 19mm, Malamjabba, Pattan, Astore 6, Balakot 4, Muzaffarabad 12, Gupis 3 and Bunji 2.

It forecast dust-thunderstorm/rain with gusty winds at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, D I Khan divisions), upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Islamabad, FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan while at isolated places in Quetta, Zhob, D.G. Khan divisions in the next 24 hours.

Hot and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2017