LAHORE, May 24: The intense heat wave gripping the plains of the country for the past around one week is going to subside from Saturday (today) in its upper and central portions because of the arrival of westerly wave.

On Friday, the heat wave tormented people in the plains, shooting the maximum temperature up to 47 degrees Celsius and even 50 degrees Celsius in majority cities of Sindh and Punjab.

The highest maximum temperature was recorded in Punjab’s southern city Noorpur Thal that was 50.2 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in Bhakkar, Sibbi, Moenjodero and Dera Ghazi Khan was 50 degrees Celsius.

This was followed by 48 degrees Celsius in Jhang, Faisalabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum and Bahawalnagar, and 47 degrees in Lahore, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanpur, Mangla, Okara, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Larkana and Jacobabad.

The Met office reported arrival of the westerly wave from Afghanistan. The heat wave will start subsiding in central and upper parts of the country from Saturday. Temperature will significantly be lowered by Sunday.

It expects scattered thunderstorm and rain over Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir in the next 24 hours. Isolated dust thunderstorm with rain at one or two places may occur over Islamabad division, upper Punjab and central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It will remain partly cloudy with chances of a dust storm in Lahore. — Staff Reporter