https://arab.news/znrga
- Temperatures expected to soar above average of last 30 years, disaster management authority says
- Besides heatwaves, strong winds, dust storms, rain and hail are also expected to hit the province
ISLAMABAD: Heatwaves are expected to hit Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province during the ongoing month of April, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Friday, urging the masses to take precautionary measures.
Pakistan has been facing a range of climate-related challenges and is considered one of the top 10 places in the world most vulnerable to erratic weather patterns. In recent years, the South Asian country of more than 241 million has witnessed untimely downpours, flash floods, heatwaves and droughts.
In its statement, the PDMA said there would be an uncertain increase in the intensity of heat in April, with temperatures soaring slightly higher than the average of the last 30 years.
“There are chances of heatwaves in the plains of Punjab,” it said. “The effects of heatwaves will be particularly high in major cities.”
Besides heatwaves, the PDMA said, strong winds, dust storms, torrential rain and hail were expected to hit the province, with downpours likely to cause flooding in rivers.
PDMA Punjab Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia has instructed the local administration to stay alert with regard to seasonal fluctuations, according to the statement.
He urged strong communication between various civic bodies and asked authorities to take precautionary measures to deal with any natural calamity.
“Rescue organizations, district administration should buckle up now,” the statement read. “Citizens should also be made aware of weather changes and precautionary measures.”
Late last month, heavy showers killed at least 10 people in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, prompting the provincial government to start working on a monsoon contingency plan.
Pakistan produces less than one percent of the world’s carbon footprint but, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, has lost nearly ten thousand lives and suffered economic losses worth $3.8 billion due to climate change throughout the years 1999 to 2018.
In 2022, torrential monsoon rains triggered the most devastating floods in Pakistan’s history, killing around 1,700 people. Over 33 million people were affected by the floodwaters — a staggering number close to the population of Canada. Millions of homes, tens of thousands of schools as well as thousands of kilometers of roads and railways still need to be rebuilt.