‘Near normal’ monsoon rains forecast

Islamabad : The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast 'near normal' rains in the country during the July-September monsoon period.

According to it, the global Sea Surface Temperature forecast shows that El Nino Southern Oscillations and Indian Ocean Dipole are likely to remain neutral during the monsoon season.

“Based on global and regional circulation models, monsoon rainfall is expected to remain near normal (+10%) in Pakistan from July to September 2020,” it said.

The PMD, however, said Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are likely to receive moderately above normal (+20%) rainfall during the August-September period.

It said the area weighted normal rainfall of Pakistan between July and September was 140.8 millimetres.

As for the impacts of the monsoon rainfall, the PMD said there was a riverine flood potential in main rivers of the country.

It warned that metropolitan cities faced flooding, while there's a high possibility of flash floods in hill torrents of Punjab province.

The PMD said the monsoon rains would have good impact on rice crop and bad on cotton crop and would provide a conducive environment for locust breeding in deserts. It added that the monsoon rainfall would ensure sufficient water availability for irrigation and power sectors.