Rains coming over the weekend

Islamabad

With the spring already set in, the Meteorological Office has forecast the first rainfall of the season over the weekend.

“As a westerly wave enters Balochistan to produce rain and thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds at a number of places in the province, scattered showers with isolated hailstorms are expected in Islamabad, Rawlapindi, and parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (March 4) or Saturday (March 5),” said Islamabad-based weatherman Muhammad Afzal on Wednesday.

The Meteorological Office forecasting officer said some northern and central parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Sibbi and Kalat divisions, could also receive isolated heavy falls during the period.

He said isolated rains and thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds were expected in upper Sindh including Sukkur and Larkana divisions today (Thursday).

The weatherman said there were also few chances i.e. around 20 per cent of dust-thunderstorm and rains in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions. 

Another Meteorological Office official said a strong EI Nino was expected to gradually weaken through the spring and its transition to neutral phase during early summer season. 

“On the basis of the prevailing global atmospheric and oceanic circulation, we forecast slightly above normal precipitation (from 20 per cent to 25 per cent) in the northern half of the country, including northeast Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, central and north Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan during the month of March.

“Normal rainfalls are likely over Sindh and southern Balochistan during the month,” he said.

The official said temperatures were likely to remain slightly above normal during March.

“Three spells of light to moderate precipitations with gusty winds are expected at scattered places all over the country. One or two snowfall over high mountains of Malakand, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are also expected,” he said.