RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain accompanied with gusty winds and thunderstorms lashed twin cities on Saturday, leaving many areas without power.

Though the day started sunny, the rain started just ahead of iftar. In some areas of Chaklala Scheme III and vicinity, the people broke their fast without electricity. The rain also brought down the temperature by two celsius: from 26 to 24 celsius in Islamabad and its suburbs.

A total of 14 millimetres of rain was recorded in Chaklala and 11mm in Shamsabad in Rawalpindi, while 12mm was recorded in Bokra, 15mm in Zero Point, 13mm in Golra, and 21mm in Saidpur and New International Islamabad Airport in Islamabad.

According to a Met official, the recent spell of rain was due to a westerly wave in the upper parts of the country and is likely to persist in northern parts till Sunday. Though the weather will remain dry in most parts of the country, rain wind/thunderstorms and snowfall over mountains are expected in Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Met office warned that landslides may be triggered in parts of KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan and choke the ‘vulnerable points’. The hailstorms and lightning are also likely to damage crops, infrastructure, and solar panels.

Low-lying areas inundated due to development work being carried out in Dhoke Hassu Road, Dhoke Khabba, Jamia Masjid Road

A similar apprehension was expressed by farmers living in the suburbs of twin cities feared that the recent rain spell would spoil their crops, particularly wheat almost ready for harvest. “In this season, the standing wheat crop is vulnerable to strong winds and heavy showers which could impact its yield,” said Muhammad Rizwan, a landowner in Rawat.

The low-lying areas of the city were inundated due to an inadequate sewerage system in the city and due to development work being carried out by some civic agencies, like the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Dhoke Hassu Road, Dhoke Khabba, and Jamia Masjid Road.

Wasa spokesman Umer Farooq said the water level in Leh Nullah remained low and normal. However, Committee Chowk underpass, Sadiqabad, Jamia Masjid Road, and adjoining areas were inundated but the situation remained under control, Mr Farooq added. For the next two days, Wasa teams will stationed at at least four complaint centres set up across the garrison city.

Pollen count

The rain also brought relief to people suffering from pollen allergies, with the expert saying that it washed the small particulates in the air and settled down the dust.

The Met office said this year the onset of the pollen season was delayed due to rain spells during the first fortnight of the month. It may be noted that rainy and windy weather conditions decrease the pollen concentration.

The most abundant pollen types in Islamabad are from eight plant species (i. e. paper mulberry, acacia, eucalyptus, pines, grasses, cannabis, dandelion, and alternaria).

Out of all these plants, paper mulberry shares about 97pc of the total pollen and its concentration touches the extreme limits of about 30,885 per cubic meter of air at the peak of the blossom season in Islamabad, particularly Sector H-8.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2024