Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Mahr Sahibzad Khan has said that the climate change phenomena is major reason for ongoing extreme weather conditions in the country. Addressing a press conference flanked by senior PMD officials, he said that the current heat wave in Pakistan was the result of a combination of meteorological, climatological and environmental factors.
Mahr Sahibzad said that the primary cause of the heatwave were the meteorological conditions conducive to high temperatures. With the presence of high-pressure system, clear skies and limited cloud cover contributed to tapping of heat near earth’s surface. The PMD DG elaborated that climate change was increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves worldwide, including Pakistan.
“Rising global temperatures, due to greenhouse gas emissions and other human activities, contribute to the overall warming of the planet, resulting in frequent extreme heat events, such as heatwaves,” he added. He said rapid urbanization was also causing higher temperatures in major cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
“Climate change mitigation, urban planning strategies and adaptation measures are essential for reducing the severity of heatwaves and protecting the population from their adverse effects”, the PMD DG suggested. To a question, Sahibzad Khan said that the current heat wave might not largely affect water supply systems and power generation as the country had sufficient water in the reservoirs due to heavy rains in last months.
About the intensity of the upcoming monsoon rains, he said that the PMD was closely monitoring the weather patterns which indicated more rains. However, the situation was still being analyzed by the officials. The PMD DG said that the government had been actively monitoring the heat wave situation and initiated measures to mitigate its impact through issuing advisories and warnings to the public through media, setting up cooling centers in urban areas and ensuring adequate supplies of electricity and water.—INP
