Monsoon rains likely to be normal

Monsoon rains during the current year are expected to be normal, Met Office said on Wednesday. "Although we are in the process of collecting data, but all indications point towards normal rains during the coming monsoon," Forecasting Officer Muhammad Hanif at the Meteorological Office told newsmen.
He said the data, on which the forecast was based, would be finalised by the end of June. "The data is based on temperatures during the month of May, which for the first 20 days have remained consistently high."
He added that the month of May usually remained dry and the level of 'heating' had also been significantly higher than normal, which meant that monsoon rains were expected to be normal.
The rainfall either occurs due to the monsoon winds coming from the Arabian Sea called South Western monsoon systems or due to the intense lows called "monsoon depressions" coming from the Bay of Bengal which originate in the China Sea or adjoining region of the pacific ocean.
Most of the rain-laden clouds during monsoon dump their moisture in northern areas, upper Punjab and some parts of central Punjab and Sindh. However, the south western and some central portions of Balochistan and a portion of north west Sindh around Jacobabad, Sukkur, Rohri and Larkana do not fall within the monsoon rains and usually remain dry.
The Met Office, earlier this month had forecast that no significant rains are expected during the next two months and country would face drought like conditions particularly in Balochistan and Sindh.
"We admit that our forecast did not click for upper parts of Punjab where last week we had significant rains," Hanif said, adding, "but mild to moderate drought still continues in parts of southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan."
He said he could not explain the phenomena of those rains, which had been the result of "Western System" that normally passed away by the end of April. "This system had left the country but last week it changed its course and came back causing rain in upper Punjab and Northern Areas. I can only say it is the result of prayers to Allah," he added.
The Western System of winds originate in Europe in winters and after travelling through Iran and Central Asian States reach Pakistan where it is the major cause of rains till April.