ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Sunday that a “severe heatwave” would persist in most parts of the country till Friday, causing water stress and increasing the energy demand.
Day temperatures are expected to remain 7-9 degree Celsius above the normal in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir, according to the Met Office.
Likewise, temperatures are likely to remain 6-8 degrees above the normal in upper and central Sindh, central and southern Punjab, and parts of Balochistan.
“This spell of heatwave is expected to continue till Friday,” Dr. Zaheer Ahmed Babar, a director at the PMD, told Arab News. “We are advising public to avoid unnecessary direct sun exposure and remain hydrated to stay safe.”
Speaking of possible impacts of the heatwave, he said that “very hot and dry” weather may cause water stress for reservoirs, crops and orchards.
“High temperatures will definitely increase pressure on power plants to fulfill additional demand for energy across Pakistan,” he said.
Babar warned the current spell of hot weather could increase base flow in the rivers during the next week. “Heatwaves are a phenomenon of climate change and this may not be the last spell this summer,” he said.
The PMD director advised farmers to manage crop water as rain patterns in Pakistan had changed due to the climate change.
The Met Office said high pressure was expected to grip upper atmosphere in Pakistan from Sunday.
"Due to this high pressure, day temperatures are likely to increase gradually in most parts of the country from Sunday," it said in a statement.
People have already been facing eight to ten-hour power blackouts in many parts of the country, while experts warned the heatwave could further deteriorate the power supply with an increase in demand in the coming days.
Mome Gull, an Islamabad-based expert on climate change, said Pakistan would need to chart out a comprehensive policy to deal with devastating effects of heatwaves and other climate change-related events, like droughts and floods.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a national adaptation program to deal with heatwaves and other catastrophes effectively,” she told Arab News.
Gull said Pakistan was among top ten countries that were worst hit by the climate change but there was no consistency in the government's policies to deal with the phenomenon.
“Heatwaves are taking a severe toll on our economy by impacting crop yields and industrial output negatively,” she said.
“The government needs to form a climate change task force to deal with all these issues proactively.”
