First spring rain in March’s first week

Islamabad

The harsh winter is over and the spring season has set in prompting the day and night temperatures to gradually rise and thus, giving rise to sprouting, flowering and fruit-setting in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

According to a spokesman for the Pakistan Meteorological Department, rain is expected from March 1 to March 3 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi followed by the clear skies.

He warned the pollen concentration would increase gradually with the growing temperature and attain its peak around mid March.

The spokesman for the PMD said it had installed pollen monitoring devices for the spring season in E, F, G and H sectors of Islamabad.

“Our pollen monitoring section monitors eight types of pollens i.e. paper mulberry, pine, dandelion, cannabis, acacia, alternaria, eucalyptus and grasses. The paper mulberry is the most abundant among all and its concentration touches the extreme limits of around 40,000 per cubic meter of air at the peak of blossom season,” he said.

The spokesman for the PMD said the people suffering from respiratory diseases experienced serious problems due to a sharp increase in pollen concentrations.