LAHORE: Temperatures soared in the plains on Friday but a fresh westerly also entered Pakistan to keep them low in many cities in the next at least five days with rain and gusty winds.

The maximum temperature in Lahore, Sargodha and Faisalabad rose to 41 degrees Celsius and in Multan to 44 degrees Celsius.

Larkana’s maximum temperature was 49 degrees Celsius which was the highest in the country. It was followed by Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Jacobabad and Moenjodaro (48 degrees), and Rahim Yar Khan and Padidan (47 degrees).

The Met department said it remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. But a westerly wave also began to affect western parts of the country and is likely to grip upper parts of the country from Friday night and expected to persist there and over central Pakistan during the next four to five days.

It forecast rain-thundershower with gusty winds/dust-storm at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Quetta, Zhob divisions and at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Kalat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan divisions, Islamabad and Kashmir during Friday night.

Rain-thundershower with gusty winds/dust-storm is expected at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and at isolated places in Zhob, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Sahiwal divisions on Saturday.

Hot and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018