Residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are experiencing increasingly hot and sunny conditions, with daytime temperatures already crossing 30°C and touching around 33°C on Friday.
Weather forecasts suggest that Islamabad is expected to turn “unseasonably hot” in the coming days, with some predictions pointing to a notable rise in temperatures from early next week.
According to AccuWeather forecasts, Islamabad may see temperatures rise steadily from Monday, May 18, with readings expected to reach around 40°C. Some projections even suggest that the mercury could go as high as 44°C later next week, pointing towards a strong and uncomfortable heat spell.
The city has already been feeling the early effects of summer, with clear skies and strong sunshine dominating most of the day.
Interestingly, despite the sunny conditions earlier in the day, online weather updates on Friday suggested chances of rain and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm. The forecast briefly pointed to unstable weather conditions even as skies remained bright and clear around early afternoon.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has also issued an outlook indicating mixed weather conditions for the region.
Met Office forecast highlights
The Met Office said a shallow westerly wave is likely to affect parts of the country, leading to unstable weather in several regions.
For Friday and Saturday, the forecast includes:
Rain, windstorms and thunderstorms, with isolated hail, expected in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, northern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir
For Islamabad and surrounding areas, the forecast suggests rain-windstorms or thunderstorms during the afternoon on Friday, with similar conditions possible on Saturday along with partly cloudy weather.
Over the past 24 hours, scattered rain and thunderstorms were reported in several areas including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Kashmir and parts of Balochistan. Meanwhile, many parts of the country remained hot and dry, with extreme heat persisting in the south.
Some of the highest recorded temperatures included 47°C in Mohenjodaro and Dadu, while several cities such as Larkana, Bahawalnagar and Shaheed Benazirabad recorded up to 46°C.
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