ISLAMABAD: A heatwave is expected to grip most parts of the country from Sunday (tomorrow), with temperature increasing by 7°C to 9°C.

According to the Met Of fice, a high pressure was likely to grip the upper atmosphere from Sunday, due to which daytime temperatures are likely to rise gradually in most parts of the country.Day temperatures are likely to remain 7-9°C above normal in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Similarly, the day temperatures are likely to remain 6-8°C above normal in upper and central Sindh, central and south Punjab and parts of Balochistan.

The Met Office said very hot and dry weather might cause stress on water reservoirs, crops, vegetables and orchards.

A high temperature may also cause increased energy demand and increase the base flow in rivers during the next week. Farmers are advised to manage crop water accordingly. The public should avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight.According to the weather outlook, the Met Office said, currently a L a-Niña condition was prevailing and likely to continue with a weak intensity during May-July which will gradually decrease while the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) condition is expected to remain in a neutral state, gradually shif ting to a negative phase towards the end of the period.

Based on the global and regional circulation patterns, a tendency for nearly normal precipitation is predicted over most parts of the country during May-July.

Northern Punjab, Kashmir and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan may get slightly above normal precipitation. Nearly normal precipitation is expected over rest of the coun-try.

The daytime temperature is likely to remain above normal all over the country during the start of the forecast period but the expected rains towards the end of the season will normalise the high temperature.

Above normal temperatures in high altitudes are likely to increase the rate of snowmelt in the northern areas, subsequently increasing the chances of base flow in the upper Indus Basin.

Meanwhile, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman on Friday asked national and provincial disaster management authorities to take precautionary measures to cope with possible disastrous impacts of the predicted above-normal monsoon rains in most parts of the country.The minister warned of the aboveaverage maximum as well as minimum seasonal temperatures over northern parts of the country.

`Natural disasters, particularly floods and lashing rains in monsoon, pose serious danger to the lives and livelihoods of the people as well as public infrastructures,` the minister said here.

The minister said that according to the annual 22nd South Asian Seasonal Climate Outlook Forum`s assessment report most of the country was likely to receive normal to above normal rains during the summer monsoon June to September.

The report showed that there was possibility of excess monsoon rainfalls over south/southwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), north and north-east Balochistan and adjoining southwest Punjab, which might pose risk of flash flooding along the Koh-iSuleman.

A relatively less rain over southeast Sindh might result in droughtlike situation in Tharparkar and Umerkot districts, according to the assessment.

Ms Rehman said the paced snowmelt in northern areas could lead to loss of lives and livelihoods in the remote vulnerable mountain regions due to possible flash floods and GLOFs.

However, timely measures for evacuation of the communities in vulnerable localities must be taken by the local disaster management authorities to avert the possible losses, she said.