PMD alerts Pakistan to the possibility of severe rainfall and hailstorms starting today.
Over the next few days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning about dust-thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and strong winds in some areas of Pakistan.
The Met Office issued an advisory on Friday stating that a new westerly wave would arrive in the country’s northwest on the evening of May 2 and remain in the upper areas until the morning of May 5.
It stated that high winds, hailstorms, torrential rainfall, and widespread dust-thunderstorms are predicted to batter upper and central Pakistan at that time. It also stated that the severe heat that is currently in place is likely to subside.
The PMD predicts that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be the province most negatively impacted by this weather system.
Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Malakand, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Balakot, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Khyber, Swabi, Charsadda, Kohat, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, and Waziristan, with sporadic gaps.
Islamabad and Punjab will also be greatly affected.
From the evening of May 2 to the night of May 4, Murree, Galiyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Jhang, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Narowal are predicted to have dust-thunderstorms and scattered hailstorms.
Additionally, on May 3 and 4, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Multan, and Khanewal may have rain-windstorms and thunderstorms with isolated hailstorms. The northern regions are also anticipated to experience the effects of the weather system.
From the evening of May 2 to May 5, Gilgit-Baltistan, which includes Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Guanche, and Shigar, is likely to see rain-wind and thunderstorm activity.
Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, and Mirpur in Azad Kashmir are all expected to experience heavy rains and hailstorms during this time.
From May 2 to May 4, windstorms and thunderstorms are predicted in Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Kohlu, Zhob, Barkhan, and Loralai in Balochistan.
Dust-thunderstorms are also predicted for May 2 and 3 in Upper Sindh. The Met Office has identified a number of possible effects of this weather system.
In susceptible regions of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and upper KP, landslides could happen, especially on May 3 and 4.
El Nino conditions are expected to emerge in South Asia during the 2026 monsoon season (June-September), according to a separate statement from the PMD.Experts strongly agree that El Nino conditions are likely to occur during the 2026 monsoon season based on global climate model estimates, according to a statement from the Met Office.