LAHORE - Windstorm and scattered rains provided much needed respite to the heat stricken people in plains including Lahore yesterday by decreasing the mercury level.
High velocity winds started blowing in the wee hours that followed by rainfall of varying intensities, decreasing the intensity of heat wave persisting in plains for the last one week.
Rain-thunderstorm/dust storm occurred at few places in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Malakand, Hazara divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Windstorm in the wee hours caused tripping of dozens of LESCO feeders, plunging major portion of Lahore in darkness. Electricity could not be restored in most of the affected areas till the morning. Cloudiness, continuously blowing winds and scattered rains caused considerable decrease in the mercury level during the day and at nighttime, much to the relief of heat stricken people.
Maximum and minimum temperature in the City was recorded 34 degree Celsius and 19C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 46 percent.
According to the experts, seasonal low lies over central parts of country and its adjoining areas. A shallow westerly wave is affecting Kashmir, adjoining areas of northeast Punjab and likely to persist during next 12 hours.
Local meteorological department has forecast mainly hot and dry weather for most parts of the country during the next 24 hours. However, rain-thunderstorm/dust storm is expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar divisions, Islamabad, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Gusty winds/dust raising winds are expected in Mirpurkhas, Sukkar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Quetta divisions and south Punjab (Multan, Bahawalpur and DG Khan divisions).
On Monday, Islamabad received 17mm rain, Lahore and Balakot 16mm each, Mianwali 13mm, Noorpurthal 12mm, Faisalabad 11mm, Muzaffarabad 10mm, Joharabad 08mm, Mangla 06mm, Jhelum and Bhakkar 05mm each, Gujranwala, DI Kan, Rawalakot and Murree 04mm each, Gujrat, Kotli and Astore 03mm each, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Malamjabba and Sialkot 01mm each.
