LAHORE: Flash drought is likely to emerge due to below normal rainfall and soaring temperature of May with consistent heatwave period, particularly in southern parts of Pakistan, said Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) sources.
The flash drought occurs when low rainfall is accompanied by consistent abnormally high temperatures e.g., heat waves over a short period of time. Flash droughts develop and intensify very quickly, often within weeks or even days. These rapid changes can quickly raise evapotranspiration rates and remove available water from the top layer of the soil.
It is worth noting that the month of May has witnessed 64 percent less than normal rainfall and similar trend is likely to continue during the current month.
Sources said the months of May and June are the hottest months of the years with higher probability of heat waves. Due to an abrupt increase in day and night time temperatures for the last three weeks, the heatwave episodes are observed. This leads to increase in the land surface temperature and evaporative demands and has resulted in soil moisture stress.
According to the latest updates, they said, the drought vulnerable districts of particularly southern half of the country (Sindh, Balochistan, South Punjab) including Tharparkar, Cholistan, Thal as well as rain-fed regions may experience flash drought in the coming days. Keeping in view the impact of the heatwave, the flash drought-like situation may emerge over most of the high-temperature regions of the country.
Keeping in view the climatology and current forecast for the month of June, said the PMD sources, drought conditions may exacerbate and affect the agriculture, water resources and live stocks, before the arrival of the summer monsoon. Flash droughts can have a significant impact on agriculture, water resources, and ecosystems. They can lead to crop failure, wildfires, and water shortages. It is advised to all stakeholders to take pre-emptive measures for disaster-prone districts.
It may be noted that National Disaster Management Company (NDMC) is continuously monitoring drought situations over the country and keeping the stakeholders and general public updated by issuing drought information on a weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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