Pakistan faces a growing risk of drought following a significant reduction in rainfall across the country.

According to the meteorological department, rainfall has been 40% below normal over the past four months, with varying degrees of deficiency recorded across provinces, Express News reported.

The period from September 1 to January 15 saw a 52% drop in Sindh, while Balochistan saw a 45% drop. In Punjab, the deficit was recorded at 42%.

This rainfall deficit is also likely to speed up the summer season, with rising temperatures expected in the coming days.

In several areas of Punjab such as Pothohar, Layyah, Bhakkar and Multan, mild drought conditions have already started to emerge. These conditions are expected to worsen, especially in rain-dependent areas.

In other regions including Rajanpur, Bahawalpur and Sargodha, similar signs of drought have been noticed. Major cities like Karachi, Hyderabad and Badin in Sindh as well as various cities in Balochistan are also experiencing early drought conditions.

The Meteorological Department has warned that if the current trend of low rainfall continues, the situation could worsen further, exacerbating the risk of widespread drought and heat waves in the near future.

Also, Pakistan is set to experience cold and dry weather in most regions, with light rain and snowfall expected in selected northern areas.

According to the Meteorological Department, the weather will remain cool and dry in most of the country with cloud cover in some places.

Regions like Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of North Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) will experience rain and snow in the coming days.

Light snowfall is expected in the higher mountain areas including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad and Waziristan.

In Punjab, the weather will remain cold and dry and no significant rainfall is expected. Similarly, areas in Sindh are likely to experience cold and dry conditions.

In Balochistan, most districts will see cold weather with some cloud cover, with light rain and snow possible in the higher elevations, including Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Barkhan and Chagai.

Islamabad and its surrounding areas will experience cold weather with the possibility of partly cloudy skies. The northern regions of the country, including Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, are expected to remain cloudy with intermittent rain and snowfall.