LAHORE: As the severe heat wave continued to grip the country, the Met department on Friday forecast pre-monsoon rains from June 15.

Monsoon season begins in Pakistan on July 1 and lasts till Sept 30.

According to the Met department forecast, the intense heat wave is likely to prevail in most parts of the country during the first half of June. The temperatures will remain one to two degrees Celsius above the long term average in the plain areas of the country.

Mostly dry weather conditions with chances of one or two isolated rainfall/thunderstorm events with dust storms are expected till June 15.

During the second half of the month, weather is likely to remain rainy than the long term average and two to three rainy spells are likely in upper parts of the country including Northeast Punjab, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Temperatures are likely to drop by two to three degrees C as compared to the first half.

Extremely hot weather continued to affect most parts f the country on Friday.

Moenjodaro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad were the hottest places in the country with a maximum temperature of 51 degrees C. The maximum temperature in Larkana, Jacobabad, Bahawalnagar and Turbat was 50 degrees C, and in Bhakkar, Rahim Yar Khan, Padidan, Sibbi and Sukkur 49.

Lahore’s maximum temperature was 44 degrees C but 30pc humidity in the air made weather sultry and unbearable. A relief came in the late afternoon when strong easterly winds blew away the shield of humidity from the city.

Multan recorded 46 degrees C maximum temperature, Faisalabad 45 and Sargodha 44.

It will remain hot and dry in most parts of the country on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2018