The latest monsoon spell hit several Punjab cities, including Lahore, on Saturday, dropping temperatures to many degrees to the much relief of people. Rain was also reported in Bhakkar, Kasur and adjacent areas where it has turned the weather pleasant and brought the mercury considerably down in these areas.In Lahore, light-to-heavy rain continued in different areas including Abbot Road, Davis Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Mall Raod, Shimla Pahari, Data Darbar, Gulshan Ravi, Johar Town, Gulberg, Samanabad, Baghbanpura, Garhi Shahu and Burki.

 The rain however caused water accumulation on various roads, disrupting traffic flow. It has also inundated low-lying areas in Lahore, Kasur and other cities with power outage in several areas.  Temperature of some major cities recorded on Saturday morning. Islamabad and Quetta twenty-six degree centigrade, Lahore and Peshawar twenty-nine, Karachi thirty, Gilgit twenty-two, Murree eighteen and Muzaffarabad twenty-five degree centigrade. The Met department forecast that monsoon currents are continuously penetrating in the country from Bay of Bengal. A westerly trough is also affecting upper parts of the country that may persist during next few days. Under the influence of this, the weather will be as follows:

Rain/wind-thundershower (with few heavy to very heavy falls) are expected in Kashmir, (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur), Gilgit Baltistan (Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar), Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kasur, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khusab, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Okara, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Karak and Waziristan from 22nd to 26th July with occasional gaps.

 Rain/wind-thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) is also expected in Zhob, Sherani, Barkhan, Musakhel, Kohlu, Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi, Loralai, Ziarat, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, Panjgur, Dera Ghazi khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta and Karachi from 22nd to 24th July with occasional gaps.

 Heavy rains may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Lahore from 22nd to 26th July and may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period. Heavy rain may generate flash flooding in Kashmir, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Manshera, Abbottabad, Rawalpindi/Islamabad during 22nd to 26th July, while in hill torrent of Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining areas of northeast Balochistan on 22nd and 23rd July. Heavy rains may trigger water logging in low lying areas of Karachi & Hyderabad during 22nd to 24th July.

 
Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP