ISLAMABAD, June 20: The residents of the twin cities are likely to face the hottest day of the year today (Thursday) as mercury is expected to rise to 43 degrees Celsius.

With massive loadshedding of around 10-12 hours daily already taking its toll on the routine life, more power outages are also expected for the day as the demand of electricity will go up massively across the country.

“The region is already hit by a heatwave as the average temperature in June in Islamabad is 38 degrees Celsius,” said an official in the Met Office. The maximum temperature in twin cities on Wednesday was 42 degrees Celsius, and with no sign of clouds in the whole region it is expected to reach 43 degrees on Thursday.

However, this will not be the highest temperature in the federal capital as the city had witnessed 46.5 degrees Celsius on June 21, 1994.

The temperature is very high on June 21 as it is the longest day of the year and the Met Office has forecast hot and dry weather across the country with exception of some isolated places in Malakand, Hazara and Makran divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan where dust thunderstorm and light rains are expected.

As the heatwave continues across the country, mercury rose to 47 degrees in many areas, including Bhakkar, Larkana, Sibbi, Sargodha and Jacobabad. Maximum temperature remained between 45 and 46 degrees in Mianwali, Sukkar, Bahawalnagar, Bannu, DI. Khan, D.G. Khan, Faisalabad, Jhelum, Lahore, Mandi Bahaudin and Nawabshah.

The residents of many cities, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, are, however, likely to get some relief in the next 5-6 days due to arrival of pre-monsoon rains.

As seasonal low lies over northwest Balochistan and adjoining areas with its trough extending south-eastwards, it is likely to invite clouds filled with moisture from the Arabian Sea.

The influence of this pattern arising from the Arabian Sea will be witnessed in many parts of the country, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, on June 26-27 in the form of south-western monsoon, which are considered as the pre-monsoon rains.