Temperature has begun growing to grip various parts of Punjab as mercury level on Friday touched 45 degrees Celsius, each in Noorpur Thal and Bhakkar, according to the Met Office. Jaccobabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Bahawalnagar, Sibbi and Padidan witnessed temperature up to 44 degrees Celsius, each.
"A shallow westerly wave is affecting most parts of the country," it said. In the next 24 hours: Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in the most parts of the country, while very hot in south Punjab and Sindh during daytime. However, an isolated dust-thunderstorm-rain is expected in Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Zhob, Quetta, Kalat, Rawalpindi and Lahore Divisions, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
Heat wave is expected to prevail over Karachi with a maximum temperature up to 35 degrees Celsius and 75 percent humidity. The city may witness a partly cloudy weather on Saturday and Sunday. In the last 24 hours: A hot and dry weather prevailed over the most parts of the country, while very hot in south Punjab and Sindh. Dust-thunderstorm-drizzle hit Sargodha, Gujranwala, Quetta and Zhob Divisions and Islamabad. Maximum rainfall was recorded in Mangla as 4 mm, Malamjabba and Jhelum 2 mm, each and Muzaffarabad and Chakwal 1 mm, each.