ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Climate Change on Thursday issued an official heatwave alert to the provinces.

According to Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, South Asia is facing a severe heatwave this year.

Temperatures in border areas of Pakistan and India are expected to go up to 49 to 50 degrees Celsius, she said.

“Extreme heatwaves are a sign of climate change and global warming,” she said, adding, “Pakistan has been facing an unexpected heatwave since March”.

According to the ministry, temperatures in Pakistan are likely to rise by six to eight degrees Celsius, more than usual this year.

Earlier in March, the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) had expressed concern over less rain throughout that month.

Pak-EPA said that it was monitoring the development projects, binding developers to use sprinklers to contain rising dust.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2022