ISLAMABAD: Monsoon season started off on Monday, the Met Office has announced, and will continue till September 15. The hot and humid conditions invited clouds and cool winds since Monday afternoon.

The Met Office has said that monsoon currents are coming into the country from the east and are likely to continue during the next couple of days.

At the same time, cool winds from the west are also approaching the country which are expected to collide with the warm, cloudy monsoon currents. There are also chances of thunderstorms accompanied by winds with speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour in Islamabad.

Similar conditions are expected almost all over the country including upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Balochistan. Satellite images on the Met Office`s website show thick clouds over north andwest Punjab, KP and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Thick clouds are also expected to travel from India.

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfalls are expected at various places in central Punjab and Islamabad on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monsoon rains are expected to be heavier this year, which will lead to flash floods and water logging in cities.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change was held on Monday to discuss visible impacts of climate change in Pakistan and suggested the country strengthen its early warning systems.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said that the response time of the country`s authorities are slow despite Pakistan being one of the most affected by climate change.

Chairman of the committee Senator Mir Mohammad Yousaf decided to call a session of the Senate to be briefed by all relevant departments about early warning systems for floods and other natural disasters.The committee also discussed in detail information sharing mechanisms for early warning of natural disasters. Members suggested that the department of Meteorology come under the Ministry of Climate Change in order to make the early warning system effective.

Director General Meteorology Dr Ghulam Rasool told the committee about the lack of updated equipment which, he said, is why the department did not have an effective early warning system.

He said 20 radars were needed to cover all of Pakistan when just seven where installed, the majority of which are working beyond their useby date.

Officials of the Natural Disaster Management Authority said that under the 10-year natural disaster management plan, the authority had demanded Rs16billion for the Meteorology Department in order to make the early warning system more effective so that flood damage could be minimised.