31pc increase in rainfall in January

LAHORE

As the period of rainy days extended during the first month of the year 2017, majority of the cities in Punjab received above-normal rains which suggested that new weather patterns are emerging in the plain areas of the country.

Data collected from Met Office revealed that rainfall occurred during the month of January 2017 was excessively above normal. Data suggested that overall 31 percent increase in rainfall was observed during the first month of the year especially in the provinces of Punjab, KP, Azad Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan while Gilgit-Baltistan received less rain than the normal.

Environmentalists believe that the country is hit by the phenomenon of climate change, which may result in seasonal droughts, severe and prolonged droughts, frost, heavy rains, floods and flash floods, extreme temperatures, unusual rains, fog and strong winds, extreme summers, deficient seasonal rainfall, shortage of fresh/drinking water, extreme winters and diseases of malaria/dengue and allergy. They said that these impacts could damage water sector, agriculture sector (sowing and harvesting), tourism sector and health sector.

Data of January 2017 suggested that besides the increase in rain, the number of days of rainfall in different cities had also increased. Weather experts believe that, as a result of global climate change, weather patterns are changing in the country as wet seasons are becoming wetter and dry spell is getting drier. They added that summers were expanding and winters shrinking.

According to the data, Gujranwala received the highest amount of rainfall during the month of January 2017. Total rainfall in the district during this period was 98.4mm while the annual normal rainfall during this time in Gujranwala was almost zero. The data showed that the number of rainy days had spread to nine from the historic 0.1 days time period of the corresponding year.

Rainfall data of some other big cities suggests that 217.7mm rainfall was recorded in Muree, 106.1mm in Jhelum, 146mm in Islamabad, AP and 149.5 in Islamabad city, 81.2mm rain in Lahore, AP, and 69.4 in Lahore city, 121.6mm in Sialkot, AP and 93.8mm rain in Gujrat.

Met Office data revealed that rainy days in Lahore increased to seven from 4.1 while 33mm rain was observed in the city in a single day. About 40.8mm rain was recorded in Layyah where no rain occurred in January 2016. The rainy days also spread to nine while maximum rain recorded in a single day in Layyah was 23.9 mm.

The data shows that 22.8 mm rain was recorded in Faisalabad. The rainy days also increased to eight from 2.3 days. In DG Khan, 4mm rainfall was recorded during the month while rainy days went to six days.

In Bahawalpur, 9.8mm rain was recorded while the rainy days increased to six from one day. In Islamabad, rainy days increased to 15 from 5.6 days, in Jhang rainy days increased to seven days from zero, in Jhelum rainy days increased to 13 from 4.8 days, in Kasur, rainy days increased to seven from zero, in Multan rainy days increased to six from 1.2 days, in Miaawali, rainy days increased to 11 from 4.2. Mianwali received 31mm rain against the previous year’s 23.8 mm rain.

In Muree, the rainy days increased to 15 from 2.3 days and it received 42mm rain in a single day during the month. In Rahimyar Khan, rainy days increased to three from zero, in Sahiwal rainy days increased to six against zero while in Gujrat rainy days increased to 13 from zero.

Meanwhile, provincial capital observed a partly cloudy day here on Wednesday. Met officials said that continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country while a fresh westerly wave is likely to approach Pakistan on Friday.They predicted mainly cold and dry weather in most parts of the country while dense foggy conditions are likely to prevail over plain area of Punjab, KP and upper Sindh during night and morning hours. No rainfall was recorded in any part of the country on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s lowest temperature was recorded at Kalam where mercury dropped to -08°C while in Lahore minimum temperature was 6.8 °C and maximum 21 °C. Humidity in the city decreased to 38 percent.