The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast unsettled weather across several regions of the country for Saturday, with warnings of flash flooding and possible damage to infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
Mainly dry and partly cloudy weather is expected in most parts of the country on Saturday. However, partly cloudy weather with isolated rain and thunderstorm is likely in southwestern and northern Balochistan.
During the evening and night, scattered rain and thunderstorm is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper and central Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Heavy rainfall and hailstorm is also likely at isolated places during this period.
Due to heavy rains, flash flooding is likely in local streams and nullahs of southwestern and northern Balochistan on March 28, while local streams and nullahs of upper and central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face the same risk from the evening and night of March 28 through March 30.
Windstorm, hailstorm and lightning may also damage weak structures including electric poles, billboards and solar panels during the forecast period.
Islamabad and surrounding areas can expect partly cloudy skies with rain, thunderstorm and isolated hailstorm during the evening and night. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, widespread rain and thunderstorm with light snowfall over high mountains is expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Malakand, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Balakot, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kurram, Swabi, Charsadda, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan during the evening and night. Isolated hailstorm is also likely.
In Punjab, intermittent rain and thunderstorm with isolated hailstorm is expected in Murree, Galiyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Noorpurthal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Pakpattan, Okara, Kasur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan and Kot Addu during the evening and night. In Sindh, partly cloudy weather with rain and thunderstorm may occur in Dadu, Jacobabad, Rohri, Qamber Shahdadkot and Larkana. Light rain and drizzle may also occur at isolated places along coastal areas.
In Balochistan, rain and thunderstorm is expected at scattered places in Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Kharan, Chagi, Dalbandin, Kalat, Sibbi, Kohlu, Barkhan, Naseerabad, Quetta, Loralai, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Noshki, Harnai, Zhob and Mastung.
Heavy rainfall and isolated hailstorm is also likely, with the possibility of flash flooding in local streams. In Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, intermittent rain and thunderstorm with snowfall over high mountains is expected during the evening and night. Isolated hailstorm is also likely during this period.
Mainly dry and partly cloudy weather prevailed over most parts of the country in the past 24 hours. However, rain and thunderstorm occurred in southwestern and northern Balochistan, South Punjab and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Recorded rainfall in millimetres was as follows: Turbat 26, Gwadar 17, Jiwani 12, Barkhan 08, Quetta 06 and Samungli 02 in Balochistan; Multan City and Kot Addu 06, Karor Layyah 05, Multan Airport 04, Bhakkar and Khanewal 03, Okara 02 and Kasur 02 in Punjab; and Dir 04 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The highest maximum temperatures recorded today were Mithi 38, Dadu and Chhor 37, and Shaheed Benazirabad and Hyderabad 36 degrees Celsius. Minimum and maximum temperatures recorded across major cities were as follows: Islamabad 13 and 31, Lahore 18 and 31, Karachi 24 and 33, Peshawar 13 and 32, Quetta 12 and 23, Gilgit 08 and 27, Muzaffarabad 11 and 31, Skardu 05 and 19, Murree 05 and 20, Faisalabad 17 and 31, Multan 15 and 31, Srinagar 08 and 24, Jammu 17 and 29, Leh 02 and 12, Pulwama 07 and 23, Anantnag 08 and 24, Shopian 07 and 24, and Baramulla 08 and 23 degrees Celsius.