Rainy spell due over the weekend

Islamabad: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast a respite from the current prolonged dry spell over the weekend.

According to a weatherman, Islamabad and adjoining Rawalpindi are likely to receive light showers tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday. "A westerly wave is likely to enter the western areas of the country on Saturday and will grip the country's upper and central parts on Sunday and is likely to persist over Malakand and Gilgit-Baltistan regions intermittently for few days," he told ‘The News’.

The meteorologist said under the influence of that weather system, rain coupled with thunderstorm of light to moderate intensity would fall at scattered places in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, upper Punjab areas including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Lahore divisions, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday and Monday.

He said rain-thunderstorm was expected at isolated places in Quetta, Zhob, DG Khan, Multan, Sahiwal and Bahawalpur divisions on Sunday. The weatherman said snowfall would occur in Malakand, Hazara divisions, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree and Galiyat during the period.

He said the rain would be beneficial for Rabi crops. The doctors welcome the upcoming rainfall saying it will end health problems caused by the prolonged long dry spell. They said the precipitation would provide the long-awaited relief from the dry, foggy weather to the relief of the people suffering from throat and chest infections, flu and fever.