Punjab is set to experience a heatwave starting on May 12, with temperatures forecast to soar over 40 degrees, an environmental expert said on Thursday.
In an interview with a private news channel, Dr. Zulfiqar, a climate researcher and environmental specialist, stated that similar to Sindh, which is now experiencing intense heatwaves, Punjab is predicted to experience a heatwave starting in the second week of the current month.
To prevent heat stroke, he urged people to stay home and refrain from going outside needlessly.
He also recommended putting water in large pots to regulate humidity in rooms.
In the meantime, the current positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the neutral phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are predicted to continue throughout the forecast month, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department's (PMD) monthly outlook for May.
The PMD said that given the country's climate, most regions should have near-normal rainfall; however, some areas, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Balochistan, northern Punjab, and Azad Kashmir, may see slightly above-average rainfall.
It stated that while daytime maximum temperatures are predicted to stay slightly above average in the northern and southern regions of the country, normal to slightly below normal maximum temperatures are possible in the central regions, which include most of Punjab and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.