LAHORE: The meteorological department on Wednesday forecast a rain spell in upper parts of the country, Khyber Paktunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from Friday.

It said that monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate upper parts of the country from Friday as well as a westerly wave likely to affect the upper pans.

The combination of the two was likely to generate rain-thundershowers with gusty winds at scattered places in upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha and Faisalabad divisions), KP, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, while at isolated places in Zhob, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan divisions from Friday to Sunday.

Hailstorm and wind/dust storm are also likely in sub-mountainous areas of Punjab, KP and AJK during the period.

The Flood Forecasting Division says scattered wind thunderstorm/rain with isolated heavy falls and one or two very heavy falls is expected over Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions along with upper catchments of all major rivers from Thursday to Sunday.

It also says flows are likely to increase in rivers Jhelum and Chenab and associated nullahs of rivers Chenab and Ravi along with hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan from Friday.