LAHORE: Windstorms and scattered rain are going to break the current intense heat wave in the mostaffected south Punjab, south-eastern Balochistan and Sindh in the next two days, and in the rest of the country by Saturday (today) evening.

Sindh and the adjoining Balochistan and south Punjab will reel under the exceptionally hot and dry weather for two more days.

And dust storms and rain are expected to rush to the relief of people in Quetta and other upper parts of the country, including northeastern Punjab, by Saturday night, a latest advisory by the Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Friday.

Critically high temperatures, 52,51 and 50 degrees Celsius, are being recorded in interior Sindh, adjoining Punjab and Balochistan since Tuesday. Above 45 temperatures in other plain areas ofthecountrytoohave been making life miserable there ever since.

On Friday, Larkana recorded 52 degrees Celsius maximum temperature for the third day running, Turbat, Jacobabad and Moenjodero 51, Sukkur, Bahawalanagar, Rahim Yar khan and Dadu 50, Rohri, Padidan, Bhakkar and Kot Addu 49, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khanpur, DG Khan, Shorkot and Noorpurthal 48, Mithi, Hyderabad, DI Khan, Kohat and Multan 47.

The maximum temperature in Lahore was 45 degrees Celsius. People prayed for rain at Juma congregations. Dust raising wind in the evening nevertheless blew away some of the heat but still it was too hot for the people.

The Met department said it would continue to be extremely hot and dry in most parts of the country on Saturday. The change in weather will start by the evening in upper Punjab and KP in view of the likely dust storms and scatteredrain.

The heat wave over the critically affected Sindh, southPunjabandBalochistan will end by Sunday evening with dust storms and thunderstorms, bringing the high temperatures down.

The Met office in its seasonal forecast had expected temperatures to sharply rise from mid-May to mid-June, and pre-monsoon rains from June 15 to July 1.