Several cities of Punjab on Thursday received the first monsoon rain while thunderstorm for provincial capital brought joy for people.
Overnight moderate showers with isolated heavy falls have occurred in many parts of northern Punjab. The Met Office official predicted onset of monsoon rains in the country from Saturday while the spell will persist for two to three days.
He said a westerly wave was expected to enter the northern parts of the country on Thursday evening. Due to the interaction of monsoon current and westerly wave, rains/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are expected in upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Lahore and Gujranwala divisions), upper KP (Malakand, Hazara and Peshawar divisions) and Islamabad in the next 24 hours.
According to a weather report, scattered rain-thundershower (with few heavy falls) is expected in upper Punjab, Kashmir, upper/central KP, while at isolated places of south KP, eastern Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan. Hot and humid weather is likely in other parts of the country.
Rainfall during the last 24 hours in mm: Gujranwala 26, Murree 65, Kakul 64, Kotli 53, Balakot 47, Mangla 36, Lower Dir 32, Parachinar 29, Jhelum 23, Islamabad 18, Mandi Bahauddin 18, Muzaffarabad 15 and Rawalpindi 14.
The maximum temperatures recorded during the last 24 hours were Islamabad 38 C, Murree 23 C, Muzzafarabad 38 C, Gilgit 40 C, Karachi 36 C, Lahore 37 C, Peshawar 40 C, Skardu 36 C, Quetta 40 C, Multan 40 C and Hyderabad.