LAHORE: Dust carried by moisture-laden wind from the Arabian Sea covered Lahore and other cities in Punjab on Thursday, and the Met department said it indicated incursion of premature monsoon currents in Pakistan.

A westerly wave over upper parts of the country was attracting moisture from the Arabian Sea. The increased humidity was retaining dust particles in the air, making it look dusty in Lahore and other cities in Punjab and Sindh, a Met officer said.

He said a westerly wave over upper parts of the country was attracting monsoon current from the Arabian Sea directly through Pakistani coastal areas and via Indian Gujarat. And a combination of them would give rain in the country during Eid holidays. Cities like Lahore, Gujranwala and Jhelum could have good amount of rainfall from Saturday to Monday, he said.

The maximum temperature in Lahore was 39 degrees as against 45 degrees C on Wednesday. But the high humidity created mugginess that enhanced the heat index more than the actual temperature.

The maximum temperature in Multan and Faisalabad was 40 degrees C and in Sargodha 43 degrees C.

Sindh cities continued to reel under extremely hot weather. The maximum temperature in Sibbi was 50 degrees C, Larkana 49, Jaccobabad, Moenjodaro 48, Dadu, Peshawar, Sukkur 46.

The Met department forecast mainly very hot and dry weather in most parts of the country on Friday (today). However, rain-thundershower with gusty winds/dust storm is expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the Met department has in its forecast for the upcoming monsoons said that in northern Pakistan, rainfall is expected to remain “normal to slightly above normal of long term average” during first half of the season, and below normal during the second.

In southern Pakistan, rainfall is expected to remain “near normal of long term average” during first half of the season, and largely below normal during the half.

The prevailing temperatures trend in Pakistan indicates high probability of few “extreme rainfall events” in Punjab, and “GLOF events” in Gilgit-Baltistan/Chitral regions during the monsoon season.

In the light of the outlook of summer monsoon 2018 and already prevailing water shortage in the country, the water managers should take measures for water storage accordingly.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018