RAWALPINDI: Rain lashed the twin cities on Sunday, bringing a pleasant change in the weather.

The Met Office has predicted more rain in the twin cities in the next 24 hours.

People took a sigh of relief from the hot weather on Sunday though the health authority remained worried about its dengue virus surveillance work.

Residents of the twin cities woke up to a cloudy weather however, the sun overpowered the clouds later and the weather became clear. The rain later started in the afternoon and continued with small gaps varying from light to heavy.

The Meteorological Department recorded 10mm ofrainfall in Chaklala, 6mm in Shamsabad in Rawalpindi, 1mm at Zero Point, 19mm at Bokra, 2mm at Islamabad International Airport and 3mm at Saidpur in Islamabad.

The Met Office official said moist currents were penetrating the central and southern parts while a westerly wave was also affecting upper and central parts of the country.

He said partly cloudy weather was expected in most parts of the country. However, rain windstorm/thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, central and southern Punjab, northeastern Balochistan, upper/southeastern Sindh and Kashmir in the afternoon.

Isolated heavyfalls with windstorm/gusty winds is also expected in southeastern Sindh during the forecast period while isolated rain/thunderstorm may occur in Potohar region.

After therain, puddles had formed on the main roads which alerted the District Health Authority. It is now considering re-starting the fumigation drive in sensitive union councils as denguemosquitoes are expected to appear in areas whererainwater had accumulated.

Sensing the situation, the district administration asked the District Health Authority and cantonment boards to activate the teams to drain outrainwater accumulated in their respective areas.

Health experts were of the view that after therain, chill in the air was favourable for thedenguemosquito.

“Rainwill wash the effects of anti-denguemedicine spray in eight highly sensitive union councils in the city and the health department had to do fogging again in these areas,” District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Asif Arbab Niazi told Dawn.

He said the dengue surveillance teams had been asked to check dengue larvae in low-lying areas to avoid spread of dengue mosquitoes in the city areas. He said in January and February, three patients were reported in the garrison city and after this, teams had started work in mid-February while surveillance will continue till the end of this year.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2025