Pakistan Weather Update & Monsoon Alert (May 19 – May 24)

• Heat broken in Punjab

• Lahore sizzled at 46.2°C

• Heat to return to Sindh

• Pre-monsoon winds to hit Karachi early

The severe heat wave is likely to cool down for few days in Pakistan due to the expected arrival of western disturbance from May 20. The western disturbance will stay in the Northern parts of the country for 3 days. The heat wave will break in Sindh and adjoining parts of Balochistan from May 21.

Heat wave killed two in Sindh

Even before this severe heat wave, the temperatures were 46°C – 48°C in many parts of Sindh since the beginning of May. Though this severe heat wave helped the temperatures to rise in other parts of the country mainly Northern areas. This harsh heat caused temperatures to rise to 49°C in Dadu and other few parts of Sindh that killed two people while traffic remained thin in parts of Sindh due to this heat wave.

The heat wave helped temperatures to touch 40°C in Giglit, an otherwise cool and rainy city in the northern areas. Lahore experienced the hottest day of the year so far when the temperatures touched 46.2°C on May 18.

Heat wave is broken!

Under the influence of this western system, light showers with lightening and few dusty winds likely in Punjab especially Lahore, Khyber, Gilgit and Kashmir. The system will affect the country till May 22, after that it will move to India.

Temperatures in Sindh and Balochistan will start to calm down. But after the rainy system moves to India, they will start to rise again. Karachi will remain under the grip of fast winds (not strong).

Monsoon Update 2011

The western disturbance could have an impact on the developement of this monsoon, which in the past few days was quickly organizing mostly due to this harsh heat wave and in the absence of western systems.

Pre-monsoon activity is being observed in Eastern India and southern India. At least 56 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar when severe windstorms, accompanied by heavy rainstorms, lashed some parts of the provinces. A strong upper air cyclonic circulations is the cause of this pre-monsoon destruction, which is quite active as of May 19.

Back to Pakistan, the temperatures in Karachi are expected to touch 40°C on May 21 (highest this year is 41.5°C).  Pre-monsoon winds will enter Karachi on May 23 due to the developement of moisture in the Arabian Sea near Gujarat, India. Drizzle with cool winds can be expected in coastal Sindh and southeastern Sindh from May 23 or May 24, these drizzle will continue for one days. Sindh including Karachi could experience drizzle/cloudy condtions during this June.