ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said on Friday the country was experiencing the monsoon season’s last spell caused by a combination of the westerly and easterly waves lashing different areas with heavy rainfall.
Earlier this week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of heavy rains from September 26 to October 1, saying they were likely to trigger floods in Punjab’s urban areas apart from the Peshawar city of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The NDMA also warned the public and local authorities to take precautionary steps to save lives.
“This is the last spell of the monsoon spell,” Sarfaraz said while speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV. “We can say it’s a combination. The westerly wave has approached from the north and Easterly waves deflected currents from the foot of Himalaya going through the Bay of Bengal.”
He said any kind of rain until September 30 will be counted as monsoon rains, adding that no further downpour would take place after that.
“You know October, November and December are dry months in Pakistan,” he said. “The trend of the next rains in the next three months is below average.”
Torrential monsoon rains from July 1 till about the first week of this month have killed 347 people, including 175 children and 54 women, across the country, as per the NDMA data.
Global organizations, such as the United Nations, see Pakistan as among the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather patterns and climate change, with floods wreaking havoc in 2022, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing millions.
Scientists also attribute the country’s erratic weather changes on climate change effects. This year, the South Asian state recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas of the country faced deadly heatwaves in May and June.
Pakistan experiencing final spell of monsoon this year – chief meteorologist
https://arab.news/w4ep3
Pakistan experiencing final spell of monsoon this year – chief meteorologist
- Sardar Sarfaraz says no new monsoon rains are likely to lash the country after October begins
- Torrential monsoon rains have killed 347 people from July 1 until the first week of September
Pakistan PM speaks to UAE president, calls for enhanced cooperation
- Shehbaz Sharif lauds UAE’s economic support in challenging times
- Both leaders discuss a range of issues, agree to stay in close contact
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised the United Arab Emirates for what he described as steadfast financial and political support during Islamabad’s recent economic crisis, as both sides signaled plans to deepen bilateral cooperation.
In a statement issued after Sharif spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and agreed to stay in close contact.
“The Prime Minister lauded the UAE’s consistent and unwavering support to Pakistan, that had helped the country navigate through difficult challenges,” the statement said, adding the two leaders “reaffirmed their shared desire to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.”
The UAE, along with other friendly nations in the region, provided critical financial assistance to the South Asian country during a balance-of-payments crisis that strained Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves and pressured its currency. Islamabad subsequently secured an International Monetary Fund program as part of broader stabilization efforts.
Sharif, in a post on X, described the exchange as positive.
“We fondly recalled our recent meetings and reaffirmed our shared resolve to further strengthen the historic, fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” he wrote.
Millions of Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, forming one of the largest expatriate communities in the Gulf state.
Remittances from the UAE rank among Pakistan’s top sources of foreign currency inflows and play a significant role in supporting the country’s external accounts.
UAE-based companies are also investing in Pakistan, helping Islamabad develop its seaports to facilitate regional trade.
