LAHORE: As most parts of the country received light-to-heavy rains on Tuesday, the Met office has forecast rain, wind/thundershowers across the country in the next 48 hours (Wednesday and Thursday), terming it the last spell of the 2021 monsoon.

“Since it may be the last spell of the ongoing monsoon that started in the second week of June, this year, most parts of the country would keep receiving good rains till Thursday,” a Met official told Dawn on Tuesday.

“Many parts Lahore received heavy rain (maximum 78mm at Pani Wala Talab) on Tuesday,” he added.

According to a Met office report, the monsoon currents amid a westerly wave are penetrating the upper and central parts of the country.

It forecasts rain-wind/thundershower in Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), upper/southeastern Sindh and northeast Balochistan, while isolated heavy falls were also expected during the period.

During the last 24 hours, rain-wind/thundershower occurred in upper Punjab, upper KP, Kashmir and GB.

Meanwhile, Jhelum received 74mm, Lahore (Shahi Qila 78mm, Lakshmi Chowk 71mm, Farrukhabad, Gulshan e Ravi 60mm, Chowk Nakhuda 53mm, Mughalpura 52mm, Tajpura 35mm, Jail Road 13mm, Upper Mall 4mm, Gulberg 3mm, Nishtar Town 1mm, airport traces), Kasur 40mm, Sahiwal 31mm, Multan (City 31mm, airport 21mm), Mangla 30mm, Narowal 21mm, DG Khan 15mm, Okara, Gujrat 14mm, Bahawalpur (airport 17mm, city 16mm), Hafizabad 11mm, Islamabad (airport 10mm, Zero Point 7mm, Bokra 6mm, Golra 3mm), Noorpur thal 9mm, Faisalabad 8mm, Sialkot (city 5mm, airport 3mm), Bahawalnager 5mm, Rawalpindi (Chaklala, Shamsabad 3mm), Gujranwala, Chakwal 3mm, M.B Din 2mm, Khanewal 1mm, Kotli 4mm, Muzaffarabad 2mm, Balakot 10mm, Malamjabba 9mm, Lower Dir, Saidu Sharif 4mm, Pattan 3mm, Kakul 2mm, Peshawar 01mm, Hunza 8mm, Bagrote 5mm and Astore 3mm.

Several cities in Sindh and Balochistan including Sukkar, Hyderbad, Karachi, Thatha, Mohinjodaroi, Sibbi, Kalat, Gawadar, Quetta, Nawab Shah, Mithi and Dadu also received light to heavy showers on Tuesday. The Met office has also forecast rain in most cities of Sindh and Balochistan in the next 48 hours.

The highest maximum temperatures were recorded in Dadu 43 degrees Celsius) and Sibbi and Padidan (41 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Tuesday rain in Lahore caused major disruption in the power distribution system in the provincial capital and adjoining districts, as over 150 feeders tripped leading to absence of light in many areas.

“We remained without light for almost three hours,” said a consumer of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) in Gulberg.

Another of Johar Town also complained about absence of electricity for almost two hours.

Meanwhile, the rain inundated various roads in the provincial capital on Tuesday that led to traffic congestion at various spots, especially Canal Road, Gulberg’s Main Boulevard, Lakshmi Chowk and Nakhuda Chowk.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2021