LAHORE: Rain in north-eastern Punjab cities including Lahore made Sunday an unusually pleasant day of May which otherwise is considered a very hot and dry month.

Though light and intermittent, rain in Lahore dropped maximum temperature from Saturday’s 39 degrees C to mere 28 degrees C, allowing people go out for picnic.

The record lowest ever maximum temperature of the city is nevertheless 22 degrees C. But the normal and the highest of the month is 48 degrees C.

Dark clouds, strong soothing wind and intermittent splashes of rain made it the weather of Murree which serves as a refuge against the severe heat in the plains in summer.

The Met department said the pleasantness was caused by a westerly wave affecting upper and central parts of the country.

Weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. However, rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds occurred at scattered places in Punjab and FATA while at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara divisions and Kashmir.

Parachinar recorded 24mm of rain, Sialkot 13, Joharabad 12, Sahiwal 9, Mianwali 8, Gujranwala, Lahore 6, Sargodha 5, Kasur 4, Okara 2, D G Khan 1, Rawalakot 14 Mirkhani 2, Drosh, Dir, Balakot 1.

The department expected mainly hot and dry weather in most parts of the country in the next 24 hours. However, dust-thunderstorm/rain with gusty winds is expected at a few places in Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Lahore,Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, D.G khan Rawalpindi divisions, Islamabad, FATA and Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017