KARACHI: Temperature in Gilgit-Baltistan and southwestern Balochistan is likely to soar significantly higher than normal during July, the Met Office has forecast.

In its monthly outlook for July, the Met said that the temperature is expected to hit various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and southwestern Balochistan more than normal entire next month.

However, it said, the rest of the country may also receive rising temperatures than normal. The upcountry may also see above normal rains next month.

It forecast dust storm and thunderstorms with isolated heavy rainfall for northern Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir.

Southern parts of the country including Sindh, Balochistan and particularly the coastal belt are likely to receive one to two rainy spells over the period, it said.

“Isolated extreme point rainfall may leads to urban flooding in big cities and flash floods in hilly areas,” the Met warned.

Higher temperatures in mountainous region may speed up snowmelt in the Northern Areas, which may result in an increase in base flow in the upper Indus basin along with chance of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), it said.

The heat index feel-like temperature is expected to remain higher than normal in major cities of the country. “Considering positive phases of climate indicators like El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which are expected to persist,” the Met said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023