Islamabad: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued its latest weekly drought update, covering the period from August 22 to August 31, 2024. The report details significant variations in rainfall, temperature, and soil moisture across different regions of the country. Notably, while most areas received above-normal rainfall, regions such as Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registered below-normal figures. Additionally, the forthcoming week is expected to bring mostly hot and dry conditions, with rain and thunderstorms predicted in several northern regions.
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, during the last week of August, monsoon rains were recorded across most parts of Pakistan, except for some areas in Balochistan like Jiwani and Gawadar. The report illustrated through Fig 1 that many areas, except Balochistan’s Pasni and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Saidu Sharif, Peshawar, and Kohat, experienced above-normal rainfall. Temperature data presented in the report also showed that most of the country experienced below-normal mean temperatures, with deviations up to 3°C cooler, except in specific locations like Karachi and Peshawar where temperatures were up to 2°C above normal.
The department’s report also included data on soil moisture derived from NASA’s GRACE-FO satellite observations, indicating that northern Pakistan currently has less moisture content in the soil compared to the central and southern regions of the country. This variation is visually represented in Fig 7, showing current wet or dry conditions as a percentile, which provides insight into the probability of such conditions occurring at a particular location and time of year.
Looking ahead to the first week of September 2024, the forecast suggests predominantly hot and dry weather across most of the country. However, rain, wind, and thunderstorms are likely in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and upper Punjab, with potential heavy falls expected in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Potohar region. On September 3, additional rain and storm activity may affect areas including Punjab, Islamabad, southeast Sindh, and eastern Balochistan.
This detailed weekly update from the Pakistan Meteorological Department highlights the dynamic and varied climatic conditions across the country, providing essential information for planning and preparedness in affected regions.