LAHORE - Parts of the country remained in the grip of severe heat wave on Wednesday with frequent outages and unscheduled loadshedding adding to the woes of heat stricken people.
Experts have predicted the prevailing harsh weather conditions to persist during the next couple of days.
Rain thundershower associated with gusty winds occurred at scattered places of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Hazara, Peshawer divisions and Kashmir and at isolated places in Malakand division and Gilgit-Baltistan.
As monsoon incursions are reaching upper parts of the country, increasing humidity has made the weather more oppressive. Pre-monsoon rains have started that would decrease intensity of heat wave in upper parts of the country. However, people in central and southern parts will continue to experience extremely hot weather conditions.
Turbat remained hottest place in the country where mercury rose as high as 50 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature in Sibbi was recorded 47 C, Dadu 46 C, Jacobabad, Bhakkar, Sukkar, Shaheedbenazeerabad and Bahawalnagar 45 C.
In Lahore, maximum and minimum temperature was recorded 42 C and 30 C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 32 per cent. People avoided unnecessarily coming out, decreasing traffic on otherwise busy roads at noon and in the afternoon. Lahore canal, as usual, attracted a large number of people including women and children. Not only youth but also elderly people were seen taking bath in the canal water. At certain places, even women were seen beating the heat by taking a dip in the mud coloured water.
According to the experts, seasonal low lies over Balochistan and adjoining areas. Moist currents from Arabian Sea are penetrating into upper parts of the country. A shallow westerly trough is also prevailing over extreme northern parts of the country.
The meteorological department has forecast mainly hot and dry weather for most parts of the country during the next couple of days. However, rain thundershower is expected at isolated places of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Hazara divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
On Wednesday, Murree received 33 mm rain, Islamabad 27 mm, Kotli 26 mm, Balakot 25 mm, Mandi Bahauddin 24 mm, Abbotabad and Rawlakot 17 mm, Cherat 14 mm, Malamjabba 12 mm, Chakwal 10 mm, Peshawer 06 mm, Rawalpindi and Mangla 05 mm each, Drosh, Chitral and Risalpur 01 mm each.