PDMA cautions against dust storms in upper Sindh on May 2-3

KARACHI: Sindh’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued alert of dust-thunderstorms in upper Sindh districts as a westerly wave is expected to approach the region on May 02 (Saturday) in the evening.

Director General PDMA Salman Shah has said that the dust storms are likely on May 2 and 3 in upper Sindh region warning that strong winds could affect electricity poles, billboards and solar panels.

PDMA Sindh’s official has also predicted likely drop in temperatures and relief from the ongoing extreme hot weather in Sindh.

PDMA has also advised growers to take care of their crops during the alert period. Concerned district administrations have also been directed to keep alert during the situation.

It is to be mentioned here that the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said that a fresh westerly wave is expected to approach the northwestern parts of the country on Saturday evening and would persist in the upper regions until May 5.

An extreme hot weather has gripped much of Sindh. In Karachi, the maximum temperature is expected to rise to 39 degrees Celsius over the weekend, according to Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder.

The Met Office said that while neutral conditions persist for El Nino Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole, most global models suggest El Nino conditions are likely to emerge, with a 61 per cent chance, during the May-July period.

This could have further implications for weather patterns in the region, which typically sees its hottest months in May and June when temperatures in heat-prone areas can soar up to 52 degrees Celcius.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It brings changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

Across the large swathes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the fresh westerly weather system is forecast to bring dust-thunderstorms and rain, with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms.