Farmers should step up irrigating cotton and spring season maze across southern Punjab and Sindh in May 2020, the Met Office said in weather outlook on Thursday.

It said that rainfall with thunderstorm, hail and gusty winds may damage the standing wheat crop in parts of the country and likely to disturb harvesting activity.

Dust raising winds are likely to blow in central and southern parts of the country due to the north-south temperature gradient, which may also degrade air quality. A steep rise is expected in daytime temperature in plain areas of the country from the second week of May, which may also start snow melting, it added.

Up to three rainy spells with hailstorm and strong winds are expected in plain areas of the country. It forecast that mainly weather systems will be tracked towards central parts of the country.

1st and 3rd week of May are expected to be wetter as compared to the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month, as isolated hailstorms with strong winds are also likely in plain areas.

Nearly normal rainfall is expected in the rest of the country during the month. Below normal temperature is likely to prevail in the northern parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining areas, while normal to above normal temperature is expected in Southern Punjab, Sindh and central Balochistan, it said.

"Global climate forces such as El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are expected to remain normal during May 2020," the Met said.