Above normal rains likely this month

Islamabad: While forecasting above normal nationwide rainfall in November, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has said there is a likelihood of two to three rainy spells occurring in different parts of the country this month. The forecast comes as the winter season has set in.

The PMD issued a weather advisory issued in the shape of the ‘Monthly Outlook for November 2018’ prepared in light of the regional and global indicators incorporating the climate system dynamics, saying Indian Ocean Dipole and North Atlantic Oscillation, the naturally occurring weather phenomena, are likely to oscillate around its neutral position this month, while EI Nino Southern Oscillation will remain in positive phase.

It said there was a probability of 60-70 per cent of above normal rainfall over the country's northern parts and nearly normal rainfall over southern parts of the country. The PMD also said there was the continuation of above normal temperature over centraland southern parts of the country. "Two or three spells of light to moderate rainfall with snow over the hills is also expected in the northern half of the country," it said.

The PMD warned that fog/smog was likely to prevail in the plain areas of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh in the month. "The drought conditions are likely to continue or even intensify in Sindh and southwest areas of Balochistan," it said.