LAHORE, Aug 31: The rainfall in August was less than the average for the month in a majority of cities of the country.
Most cities, particularly those in Sindh and Balochistan, had had above-normal rainfall in July. The rainfall in Sindh and Balochistan was caused by a monsoon low which was accentuated because of a westerly system.
In August, another monsoon low from the Bay of Bengal extended up to Bahawalpur, causing widespread but only moderate rainfall.
According to the data collected by Dawn on Sunday, rainfall was above-normal in only 14 cities between Aug 1 and 31. Sialkot topped the list with 446mm of rain as against an average of 259.1mm.
Bahawalnagar received 69mm, Bahawalpur 70mm, Jhelum 244mm, Khanpur 155mm, Multan 70mm, Zhob 87mm, Sibbi 51, Astore 28mm, Skardu 13mm, Drosh 25mm, Chor 167mm, Hyderabad 78mm and Jacobabad 54mm. The average rainfall in August in these cities is 34.2mm, 43.2mm, 221.2mm, 23mm, 32.6mm, 58.9mm, 30.3mm, 23.5mm, 10.5mm, 22.3mm, 74.5mm, 60.6mm and 26.3mm, respectively.
In all other cities of the Punjab, there was less than normal rainfall. Faisalabad received 26mm of rain, Islamabad (airport) 238mm and (Zero Point) 154mm, Lahore (airport) 64mm and (city) 111mm, and Murree 157mm as against their respective averages of 89.8mm, 309.9mm, 173.5mm, 163.9mm and 326.3mm.
Sargodha received 56mm of rain, Mianwali 75mm, Rahwali 91mm, Shorkot 138mm, Dera Ghazi Khan 43mm and Jhang 58mm.
In Balochistan Barkhan received 87mm of rain and Jiwani 3mm as against the average figures of 87.7mm and 3.6mm.
In Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas, Bunji received 9mm of rain, Garhi Dupatta 97mm, Gilgit 8mm, Kotli 195mm and Muzaffarabad 106mm as against their averages of 18.4mm, 253.5mm, 15.6mm, 290.5mm and 249.2mm.
In the NWFP, Balakot received 266mm of rain, Cherat zero, Chitral 1mm, Dera Ismail Khan 49mm, Dir 70mm, Kakul 151mm, Parachinar 80mm, Peshawar 31mm, Saidu Sharif 129mm as against their respective averages of 292.5mm, 96.7mm, 6.5mm, 57.5mm, 109.6mm, 261.3mm, 98mm, 76.7mm and 143mm.
In Sindh Badin received 89.9mm of rain, Karachi (airport) 7mm, Nawabshah 39mm, Padidan 5mm and Sukkur zero as against their averages of 89.9mm, 67.4mm, 45.4mm, 30.7mm and 19.8mm.
Meanwhile, according to the Flood Forecasting Division, the monsoon low over northern Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Uttar Pradesh again moved to the northeast on Sunday.
Chief Meteorologist Shaukat Ali Awan said the system was still causing rainfall in India. Had it continued to move in a northwest direction it would have caused rain in Pakistani cities including Lahore, he said.
The FFD reported 62mm of rainfall in Rahimyar Khan, 40mm in Sohawa, 25mm in Bahawalpur, 19mm in Kasur, 15mm in Zhob, 13mm in Kallar and 9mm in Mangla during the past 24 hours. It predicted rainfall of light to moderate intensity in some cities of the Punjab and the Northern Areas during the next 24 hours.