Met Office cautions drought in country after scarce rainfall

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday issued alert about emerging drought conditions in country after scarce rainfall.

Met Office stated that drought conditions emerging in country as Pakistan received below normal rainfall (-40%) from 01st September 2024 to 15th Jan 2025 period across the country.

Sindh received 52% lesser rainfall during the period, the PMD said in its report about drought conditions.

Recent rainfall spell in the country did not produce significant rain in plain areas of the country aggravating the drought conditions.

After Sindh, Balochistan received 45% and Punjab 42% lesser rainfall, PMD said.

Met department cautioned that mild drought like conditions have emerged over different areas of the country.

In Punjab, mild drought conditions observed in Potohar region (Attock, Chakwal,
Rawalpindi/Islamabad), Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Rajanpur, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur,
Faisalabad, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and DG Khan districts.

In Sindh province, drought like conditions have emerged in most areas of Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Padidan, Sukkur, Khairpur, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and Karachi.

In Balochistan drought like conditions have emerged in Ormara, Kharan, Turbat, Kech, Panjgur, Awaran, Lasbella, Nokkundi, Dalbandin and adjacent areas.

The PMD said that ongoing drought conditions are likely to aggravate further as no significant rainfall expected in rain-fed areas of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

The Met department has also viewed the second half of this season, January to March, as dry compared to the first half, also the above normal temperatures forecast may favor the turning of mild drought conditions to moderate drought, especially in the rainfed areas of country.