Islamabad: Amid the ongoing dry spell, Pakistan has experienced well below normal rainfall and notably high temperatures across most parts of the country during the third week of September, as confirmed by the latest weekly drought update from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, isolated light rains were recorded only in areas such as Chitral, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ghotki, Sibbi, Dir, Punjgur, and Kalam from September 15 to 21, 2024. The rest of the country remained dry, with most regions receiving rainfall significantly below the normal range of 10 to 60 mm, except in Punjgur and Noukundi where normal levels were observed.
Temperature analyses from the same period show that most parts of Pakistan recorded above-normal temperatures, with increases ranging from 0.5 to 4.0°C. However, a few stations including Jiwani, Kalat, Dir, Chitral, and Skardu experienced below-normal temperatures, which ranged from a decrease of 1 to 4°C. The rise in temperature combined with decreasing humidity has resulted in notably hot weather conditions, particularly in central parts of the country.
The report further highlights that normal rainfall levels for most parts of the country range from 0 to 25 mm. In contrast, regions like Kashmir, and the adjoining hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Potohar region typically see slightly higher rainfall, ranging from 26 to 50 mm.
As per the latest data derived from NASA’s GRACE-FO satellite, surface soil moisture levels from September 10 to 16, 2024, were also examined. The findings indicate that soil moisture is low in all parts of the country except in southern and northern Balochistan and Sindh. This low soil moisture further exacerbates the drought conditions.
Looking ahead to the forecast from September 23 to 28, 2024, rain-wind/thundershowers are expected in regions such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad, and upper Punjab. These areas may also experience a few heavy falls, particularly in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, the Potohar region, northeast Punjab, and Kashmir. Isolated rain-wind/thundershowers are also likely in southeastern Sindh.