KARACHI: The first monsoon rains of the year are expected to knock on the country from today and continue till July 8, which may carry along windstorms as well, the Met Office forecast on Sunday.
The monsoonal spell is likely to begin in the entire country with rains, thunderstorms and windstorms from July 3, as the Met warned the public about dangers of the damage to high-rise installations and loose structures.
A westerly wave is also likely to enter the upper parts of the country on the eve of July 3, it said, adding that the new weather system may also produce a heavy falls and hailstorm with intermittent rains from Monday till July 8, 2023.
Chitral, Swat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Kohat are expected to see rain, windstorms and thundershowers with a few heavy falls and hailstorm from July 3 till July 8.
The rainy and windy weather over the same period is likely to grip Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, besides Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh.
Rain and wind-thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are also expected in Barkhan, Loralai, Sibi, Naseerabad, Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob, Lasbela, Awaran, Musakhel, D I Khan, Bannu, Karak, Waziristan, D G khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal and Okara from July 5 to July 8.
Sukkur, Jacobabad Ghotki, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Mithi, Chhor, Padidan, Nangarparkar, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad and Karachi may receive rains, wind-thundershowers with isolated downpours from July 7 till July 8.
Heavy rain may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala and Lahore between July 4 and July 7.
Similarly, rains may also trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the period.
Downpours may also trigger flash floods in hill torrent areas of D.G. Khan and adjoining areas of northeast Balochistan from July 6 till July 8.
The Met advised the farmers to manage their activities keeping in view the fresh weather, besides asking the tourists to remain extra cautious to avoid any untoward situation during the rainy spell. Dust-storm, wind-thunderstorms and heavy falls may damage loose structures like electric poles, solar panels, etc., it said and urged the public to stay safe in the windy and stormy weather.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023