Temperatures above normal, less rains; PMD forecasts alarming weather

The Pakistan Metereological Department (PMD) has made an alarming forecast for the coming months, predicting temperatures to rise 3 C to 5 C above normal. 

Chief Metereologist Muhammad Afzal addressed a press conference on Wednesday in Islamabad, where he stated that the country had recorded a 42 percent drop in winter rainfall, with Sindh receiving 63 percent less rain, Balochistan 53 percent and Punjab 41 percent, driving water levels in dams and reservoirs to reach "dead levels". He warned that rain forecast for the coming few months for northern regions of Pakistan shows below normal levels, threatening water availability for agricultural and domestic use. 

The shortage could lead to crop failures, the spread of diseases, and negative impacts on wildlife. He stressed that the public should use water wisely to mitigate the crisis.

Continuing in the vein of further bad news, PMD warned that urban areas could witness heatwave conditions. 

Intense heat may also trigger glacial melts, increasing the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). 

While Pakistan typically receives 19.4 percent of its annual rain between April and June, a less than normal forecast could lead to groundwater depletion. 

PMD has said that temperatures around Eid will remain 2 C to 3 C higher than normal with most of the country battling hot and dry weather. 

However, a wet spell with rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall over mountains is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and northern Punjab on March 26-27.