ISLAMABAD, June 20 (Bernama-dpa): Pakistan is bracing for a heatwave with temperatures expected to climb as high as 50 degrees Celsius in the country’s most populous province where people have been asked to stay indoors, reported German news agency (dpa).
"Temperatures are expected to climb as high as 50 degrees in southern Punjab and some areas of Sindh,” chief metrologist Sardar Sarfraz said on Tuesday.
The Pakistan Metrological Department issued an advisory saying day temperatures are likely to remain four to six degrees higher than normal in Punjab and some parts of Sindh.
"The general public is advised to avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight,” it said.
Temperatures in northern areas, home to over 7,000 glaciers, are expected to be two to four degrees above normal.
The sweltering conditions will continue to persist from Tuesday through Saturday.
A spell of pre-monsoon rains is due at the end of the week, Sarfraz said. However, unlike last year, Pakistan is expecting below normal monsoon rains this year, he said.
More than 1,700 people were killed and over 33 million people were affected by the devastating floods triggered by the erratic monsoon rains last year.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated last week ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy in Pakistan and India.
Neighbouring India is also in the grips of a blistering heatwave in which scores have died in the past few days.
Pakistan is responsible for less than one per cent of global carbon emissions, but is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.
Flash floods, land erosion, cloudbursts, droughts and smog resulting in low air quality have been on the rise in Pakistan in recent years. - Bernama-dpa
