ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received 60 per cent more rains than usual during the monsoon season July-August as heavy showers continued to lash across the country.
Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, the Director General (DG) Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Mahr Sahibzad Khan, also anticipated that the country is likely to receive less rainfall during the post-monsoon period which may cause early onset of fog and smog in some regions of the country.
Giving the overview of the last two months' rainfall, he said that the country has witnessed 11 rain spells from July 1 to August 30 with overall 60 per cent higher amount of rainfall.
He said that Sindh province has received the highest of 125 per cent more than normal rainfall followed by 115 per cent more rainfall recorded in Balochistan, 56 per cent more in Punjab, five per cent more in Gilgit-Baltistan and one per cent more in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. However, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed 20 per cent lesser rainfall than normal during these two months.
He said during the month of August, the country has received 137 per cent more rainfall than usual with Sindh receiving 318 per cent higher rainfall than usual. The Balochistan province received 239 per cent more rainfall than normal, Punjab 111 per cent, Gilgit-Baltistan 58 per cent, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 25 per cent and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 10 per cent more rainfall, he added.
The DG PMD disclosed that overall a tendency for near normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the country in September. North-eastern Punjab and south-eastern Sindh may get slightly above normal rainfall during September while daytime maximum temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal over most parts of the country, he added.
During the first week of September, the DG PMD said that rain with isolated heavy fall is expected in upper parts of the country from September 02-04. Heavy rain may generate flash flooding in local nullahs/streams and hill torrents and may trigger landslides.
Briefing about the current situation of water reservoirs, Khan said that the Tarbela Dam has reached its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet and current water level in Mangla is 1,219 feet, out of the total conservation level of 1,242 feet, while the Rawal Dam has also reached its maximum conservation level of 1,752 feet, water level in Simly Dam Islamabad has reached 2,304 feet, out of the total conservation level of 2,315 feet while in Khanpur Dam, the water level is 1,959 feet out of the maximum conservation level of 1,982 feet, he added.
Giving an update on deep depression situation, Sahibzad Khan pointed out that the deep depression was located at 23.5°N and 68.4°E, approximately 200km east/southeast of Karachi, and had moved west-south-westward at 10 kmph over the past six hours.
He said this strong weather system was likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm today and would move west-north-westwards over North Arabian Sea along Sindh coast.
He said widespread rain/wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy and isolated extremely heavy falls likely in Karachi division, Tharparker, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad districts till August 31.
The DG PMD said widespread rain/wind-thunderstorm with scattered heavy/very heavy falls also likely in Hub, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech and Gwadar districts till September 1 with occasional gaps.
Sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough with squally winds 50-60 km/hour gusting 70 km/hour considering which the fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea till September 1, he added.
About the impact of rain spells on agriculture, the director general said that the rain has benefited rice and sugarcane crops while it had a damaging effect on the cotton crop.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024