LAHORE  -  The city experienced hot and partly cloudy weather on Sunday, with the MET office forecasting similar conditions over the next 24 hours. Officials from the MET department issued an alert, warning that wind, dust-thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall could damage vulnerable structures such as electric poles, trees, vehicles, and solar panels between Monday evening and Tuesday. They noted that moist currents were moving into the upper and central regions of the country, while a new westerly wave is expected to enter the western and upper areas by Monday evening or night. Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist across most regions. However, rain, wind, and thunderstorms are likely in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, the Potohar region, and northern/southeastern Balochistan during the evening or night. Isolated heavy rainfall and hailstorms may also occur in these areas. Rainfall was reported from Narowal, Hafizabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhang, Gujrat, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Joharabad, Mangla, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Kasur, and Kotli. The highest temperature on Sunday was recorded at Nokkundi, Sakrand, Chhor, and Mithi, where the mercury hit 46°C.

In Lahore, the maximum temperature was 36°C.

Meanwhile, Lahore’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 58, with PM2.5 levels measured at 2.6 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended annual limit.