Recent heatwave impacts drop rain spell in Potohar region

News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The recent heatwave impact prevailing has affected the rainy pattern in the country, especially in the Pothohar region.

The abrupt rise in temperature due to heatwave phenomenon leads to a decline in water vapors in the atmosphere causing drying and reduced chances of rainfall, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director Dr Khalid Mehmood Malik said while explaining the prevailing hot and dry weather pattern in the region.

Dr Malik said the rise in temperature used to inflict different impacts on diverse geographical regions. “If the heatwave prevails in hilly regions like that of Northern Areas, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, and Pothohar it will increase the probability of rainfall whereas it will act contrary in plain areas like central Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan”, he added.

On Tuesday, Dr Khalid said a weak system entered into the atmosphere of Islamabad which was blown away by the strong gusts of opposing winds entering from the South that caused very less rainfall in the area. While elaborating on the impacts of winds carrying moisture and dryness in the air on rainfall, he said the winds originating from dry areas would incur dryness and those from hilly terrain carry moisture that facilitates rainfall in the area.

To a query, he said a system is defined as the winds that have moisture absorbed in it that creates rainfall.   He informed that the less rainfall in Islamabad a day earlier was mainly due to the Southern winds that blew away the North West system passing by the Capital.

“If the wind speed has been a little slow then it would cause rainfall in Islamabad. This area of Pothohar has local development of vaporous during this season that causes rainfall or generates clouds”, he concluded.