ISLAMABAD, June 25: More than 100 persons have died in a searing heatwave across Pakistan, with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius, data gathered from the Met office shows. Most deaths have been reported from the plains of Punjab and Sindh, a result of sunstroke and dehydration. The baking temperatures also knocked unconscious a large number of people in different parts of Pakistan.

In the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, the citizens braved hot winds and a burning sun as heat index reached an all-time high of 54 degree Celsius. Five people died and hundreds fainted during the last nine days of blistering heatwave in the two cities.

Hospitals were kept busy dealing with a continuous stream of patients hit by sunstroke and gastroenteritis. Increasing humidity in many cities, including Lahore, has been adding to people’s woes.

Meteorologists have warned that the sizzling weather is likely to persist until June 30 while rain with thunderstorm is expected in a few places of lower Sindh, northern Punjab and Kashmir during the next 36 hours.

The Met office said that monsoon rain was expected in the first week of July. The monsoon rainfall is likely to remain 15 to 20 per cent below normal during July and 15 to 20 per cent above normal during August and September.

Attock was the hottest place on Saturday where mercury touched the 50-degree Celsius mark. Other major cities where temperatures remained above 45 degrees Celsius were Sibi, Mianwali, D.G. Khan, Risalpur, Sarghodha, Multan, Faisalabad, and Islamabad.

The mercury hit 48 degree Celsius in Mianwali and D.G. Khan, 47 in Risalpur, Bhawalnagar and Banoo, 46 in Sarghodha and Sibi, 45 in Islamabad, Multan and Faisalabad, 44 in Peshawar, 43 in Gilgit, 42 in Lahore, Quetta and Muzaffarabad and 36 in Karachi, the Met office said.

Humidity in the air was recorded at 57 per cent in Karachi, 50 in Murree, 43 in Lahore, 41 in Peshawar and Muzaffarabad, 33 in Multan, 32 in Islamabad, 28 in Faisalabad, 25 in Gilgit and 24 in Quetta.