LAHORE - Like the last month, April will be hotter than the usual with experts expecting the mercury to remain 1-2 degree Celsius above normal.
Climate indicators suggest that the country is likely to receive normal rainfall during the current moth. However, April will be hotter than the usual due to above normal temperature during the day and at night.
North Atlantic Oscillations (NAO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are expected to remain neutral in April 2017. The El Nino and Southern Oscillations (ENSO) is in developing phase.
Three to four weather systems are likely to pass across the country, resulting in Normal to slightly above normal rainfall over upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining northern parts of Punjab. Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in rest of the country. Thunder/hailstorms accompanied with gusty winds are also likely to occur at isolated places in the country.
Meanwhile, a westerly wave has gripped upper and central parts of the country that would persist till Thursday. Parts of the country will receive rains, thunderstorm and isolated hailstorm during the next three days (till Thursday).
Rain-thunderstorm (associated with gusty winds) is expected at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Heavy falls are also expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara divisions and Kashmir. Due to heavy falls, there is a risk of flash flooding/land sliding in vulnerable areas. Hailstorm is also expected in Islamabad, upper Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir.
Weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country yesterday. However, rain-thunderstorm (associated with gusty winds) occurred at isolated places in Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Shaheed Benazirabad and Turbat remained hottest places in the country where mercury rose as high as 45C. Maximum temperature in Padidan was recorded 44C, Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Rohri, Rahim Yar Khan and Larkana 43C and Moenjodaro 42C. Maximum and minimum temperature in Lahore was recorded 37C and 21C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 18 per cent.
On Monday, Kot Addu received 05mm rain, Bagrpote 04C, Faisalabad 03C, Skardu 02mm, Jhang, Kasur, Astore, Gupis, Gilgit, D I Khan and Bunji 01mm each while Lahore, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Okara, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh and Joharabad received traces of rain.