Farmers warned of continuing dry weather spell

The Met Office on Wednesday warned the farmers of the continuing dry weather spell, saying that the growers should evolve plans to irrigate crops in the lean period. The Met said that the dry weather was expected to continue till the end of December. Farmers obtaining crop water through tube wells should schedule the irrigation as per crop requirements.
"During the last two months dry weather has been reported from most of the agricultural plains of the country and is likely to prevail by the end of December," it said, adding that the farmers should sow vegetables for winter season on time. It said that the wheat cultivation was under way in the most of the irrigated areas of the country. "Farmers of irrigated areas should irrigate the crop as per requirement in accordance with the prevailing weather conditions. Normally, first irrigation is given 20-25 days after sowing," it added.
It warned that the weeds caused a considerable loss in yield every year, advising the farmers to remove the unwanted plants from their crops at the earliest. Cold and dry weather in Punjab is likely to prevail in its most parts with dense fog in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions till December 31. Dry weather will prevail in Sindh.
Weather in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to remain dry and cold with light to moderate rainfall at scattered places in Malakand and Hazara Divisions from December 27 to December 29. Widely cold and dry weather is likely in the most parts of Balochistan. Mainly cold and dry but cloudy weather is expected in the most parts of Gilgit-Baltistan with light to moderate rain and snowfall at scattered places from December 24 to December 25 and from December 28 to December 30.
An overcast cold and dry weather is expected in Kashmir with light to moderate rain and snowfall in Muzzaffarabad and Rawalakot regions from December 27 to December 29. Forecast for the next 24 hours: Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in the most parts of the country with shallow foggy conditions over the plain areas of Punjab and Upper Sindh during the morning hours. "Continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country," it said.
In the next 48 hours: Weather is expected to remain unchanged in the most parts of the country. Temperature in Skardu recued by one degree Celsius to minus nine, Hunza and Gupis minus six, each, Gilgit minus five, Kalam, Kalat and Astore minus three, each, Dir and Quetta minus two, each, Rawalakot, Bagrote and Chitral minus one, each, in the last 24 hours.