LAHORE: First full-scale rain of pre-monsoon season is likely to start in Punjab from Thursday (today), said Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Director PMD Shahid Abbas said the present spell of pre-monsoon season would continue until 21st of June, followed by a short dry spell of two to three days and another rainy spell by the end of the current month.
He told this scribe that the PMD was expecting 25 to 50 millimetre rain in the city and other major cities of central as well as south Punjab. Also, he said, the northern areas would witness first spell of pre-monsoon rains from 15th to 23rd of June. The hilly areas would be registering more rain compared with the plain areas of the province, he added.
According to him, the onset of pre-monsoon rains would decrease the temperature by 8 to 10 degree Celsius on both minimum and maximum sides of the bar, which would bring a big sigh of relief to the heatwave hit people of the province of Punjab.
At present, the minimum temperature is being recorded at 32C, which is likely to reduce to 24C with the start of pre-monsoon rains. So far as the maximum side is concerned, the temperature would fall to 33C from the present level of 42C, he added.
He said there would a sudden drop in temperatures after a week time that would also have a positive impact on the demand for electricity on the part of consumers. Accordingly, he added, it would be easy for the power distribution (Discos) to manage the supply side with a drop in demand, which has crossed about 7000 megawatt this year against the corresponding period. The total demand was around 20,000 megawatt during the last summer against some 27,000 megawatt of the present season.
Shahid said the westerly waves would club with the pre-monsoon waves that would reduce the intensity of heat in the province. Accordingly, cold rains are likely to take place ahead, he stressed.
In other words, he added, the start of pre-monsoon season would prove pleasant. So far as water flows are concerned, both the hilly areas and nullahs would witness flow of rainy water with high intensity. Similarly, he said, the chances of urban flooding could not be mitigate in the face of more than routine rains ahead with the start of formal monsoon season in the country.
Meanwhile, the flood season has also started from 15th of June, which would continue until 15th of October, a total of 123 days. The flood forecasting division of PMD has started latest information on water flows with relevant authorities across the country on daily basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022