The Met Office on Monday asked the farmers to take measures against pest and viral attacks at cotton and sugarcane crops during the hot and humid monsoon conditions. It said that those farmers watering their crops from tube wells should schedule irrigation keeping in view the rainy monsoon weather.
Farmers should control further weeds growth at the present growing stages to stop any negative impact over the crops. Weeds removing practices should be started soon after expected rains, it said. It said that farmers should also take timely steps to protect their crops, livestock and other property from any expected heavy rains. Farmers of upper half of the country should complete sowing of Kharif crops in time to utilise fully the present soil moisture, especially growers of maize crop in rain-dependent areas, it said. Cotton farmers should remain vigilant to protect their crops from adverse effects of the stagnant water. It said that mechanism for drainage of stagnant water from fields should be evolved on a priority basis and necessary requirement in this regard should be taken.
Rain-thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, and Faisalabad from August 24 till August 31. Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of Sindh with a possibility of light rain along coastal belt. Light rainfall is expected at isolated places in Hyderabad, Karachi, Mirpurkhas and Larkana divisions from August 23 to August 28. Rain-thunderstorm is likely at scattered places in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa including Mardan, Malakand, Hazara and Peshawar Divisions from August 23 to August 31.
Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of Balochistan with a light rainfall at isolated places in Quetta, Kalat, Sibbi and Zhob Divisions from August 25 to August 28. Rain-thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Kashmir.