ISLAMABAD: The impact of climate change has resulted in a very different weather pattern this year compared to the same period last year.

Almost the entire country was warm and sunny on March 3 last year, but this year around, Sunday will be largely wet, soggy and cold.

The highest pollen count in Islamabad on Saturday was only 120 particles per cubic metre in H-8 sector due to the rain and cold. However, the same area sees a peak count of 40,000 particles per cubic metre.

The current system has brought rain across the Potohar region and elsewhere in the country as well as snowfall in Murree and Galiyat areas.

The rains have not only increased water level in various reservoirs but have been beneficial to the rabi crops, mainly in barani areas of northern Punjab and Khyber Pakhunkhwa.

The strong rain bearing system has brought widespread rain and thunderstorm in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Flash floods have also occurred in local nullah/riverines in several districts of Balochistan and hill torrents in D.G. Khan.

More rain, thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills accompanied by windstorm is expected in Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan today (Sunday).

The system will also bring precipitation in isolated places in north-east Balochistan, Sukkur, Larkana, Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions of Sindh.

The prevailing system will move eastwards towards India by late Sunday evening, however an official of the Met Office said more rains were expected in the second half of the month.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2019