Pakistan is expected to witness a spell of heavy rains, beginning from Sunday night in Balochistan and lasting till April 9 in the upper parts of the country, according to the Met Office.
In a weather advisory issued on Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said it predicted that “another western disturbance is likely to approach western parts of Balochistan” on Sunday evening and was likely to persist in the upper regions till April 9.
Under the influence of the weather system, showers with isolated heavy falls or hailstorms were likely in various areas of all provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In Balochistan, rain-windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated heavyfalls/hailstorm was expected in Quetta, Chaman, Chagai, Dalbandin, Kharan, Ziarat, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Nushki, Harnai, Zhob, Kalat, Khuzdar, Barkhan, Mastung, Sibi, Kohlu, Nasirabad and Loralai from Sunday night to the morning of April 7 (Tuesday) with occasional gaps.
The same was forecasted for Panjgur, Turbat, Kech, Awaran, Lasbela and Makran Coast (Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara) for April 6 (Monday).
Sindh, including Karachi, was likely to witness showers on Monday, according to PMD.
“Scattered rain-windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated heavyfalls/hailstorm” was expected in Sukkur, Kashmore, Ghotki, Jamshoro, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot.
Meanwhile, “light to moderate rain-windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated hailstorm” was forecasted in Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Mitiari, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal and Karachi.
Predicting the weather for Punjab, PMD said “widespread rain- windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated heavyfalls/hailstorm” was expected in Lahore, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Jhang, Noorpur Thal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Pakpattan, Okara, Kasur, Sahiwal from April 6 (Monday) evening to April 9 (Thursday) with occasional gaps.
The PMD forecast “rain- windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated hailstorm” in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan and Khanewal on April 6 and 7.
“Heavy falls/hailstorm is also likely in Islamabad, Pothohar region and upper districts on April 7 and 8,” the Met Office added.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PMD said “widespread rain-windstorm/thunderstorm (snowfall over mountains)” was likely in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Malakand, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Balakot, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kurram, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Swabi, Charsadda, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan from April 6 to 9 with occasional gaps.
“Heavy falls/Hailstorm is also likely at scattered places on April 7 and 8,” the department said.
Meanwhile, for GB, PMD forecasted “moderate rain-wind/thunderstorm (with isolated heavyfalls and snowfall over the
mountains)” was expected in Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Guanche and Shigar from Sunday night to April 9 with occasional gaps.
For AJK, the Met Office predicted “widespread rain-windstorm /thunderstorm with few heavyfalls/hailstorm in Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian Bala, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur from April 6 to 9 with occasional gaps.
The PMD’s forecast comes after the country witnessed a rain spell this week, with Sindh witnessing heavy showers termed “abnormal” for April and flash floods lashing Balochistan.
Since March 20, continuous rains and flooding have claimed nine lives and injured 10 others across Balochistan, while six people died in Karachi after torrential rain hit the metropolis on April 2.
In KP, a child was killed while 16 people were left injured in rain-related incidents as the province received rainfall for the second consecutive day on Friday.
Several cities in Sindh set new records for heavy rains and lowest night and daytime temperatures for the month of April, the PMD said.
Rain varying from light to heavy lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday, inundating low-lying areas, while heavy rain and a hailstorm over the last two days have damaged wheat crops in parts of south Punjab.
PMD warns of landslides, flash floods in north
In its weather advisory, the PMD warned that landslides may occur in vulnerable areas of upper KP, GB and AJK between April 5 and April 9.
“Due to heavy rains, flash floods are expected in Kashmir, northeast Balochistan (Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Kohlu, Zhob, Barkhan, Loralai and Sherani) and Koh-i-Sulaiman mountains on April 6,” it said.
It added that the same was likely in local streams and nullahs of KP (Kurram, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Kohistan, Chitral, Buner and Abbottabad) from April 7 to 8.
“Urban flooding is also expected in Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala and Sialkot on April 7 and 8,” the PMD stated.
It cautioned the public that windstorm/hailstorm and lightning may damage weak structures such as electricity poles, billboards and solar panels during the forecast period.
The Met Office further warned that “hailstorm/windstorm may damage standing crops” in Punjab, KP and Sindh, advising farmers to manage their crops accordingly.
It urged tourists and travellers to “remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary travelling during the forecast period”. “Daytime temperatures are likely to decrease during the forecast period,” it added.
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