.
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Monday that pollution caused by recent US-Israeli attacks on Iranian oil facilities could worsen air quality in western parts of Pakistan if prevailing winds carry pollutants across the border.
In a statement, the Met Office said atmospheric currents originating in Iran may transport pollutants to the neighboring regions of Pakistan.
“Because of [the] recent situation in Iran, the wind may carry pollutants and degrade air quality in the western parts of the country,” PMD said.
Separately, the PMD has forecast rain and thundershowers in upper parts of Pakistan under the influence of a westerly weather system expected to approach on Monday evening and persist till March 12.
The Met Office predicted partly cloudy to cloudy weather with moderate rain, wind and thundershowers, including occasional heavy falls, in several districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Dir, Kohistan, Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Malakand, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur.
Similar weather conditions are expected in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the same period.
Light rain and thundershowers are also likely on March 10 and 11 in Khyber, Mohmand, Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Bajaur, Bannu, Waziristan, Orakzai, Kurram, Kohat, Hangu and Mianwali.
According to PMD, rain-wind and thundershowers are also expected in Islamabad, Potohar region, Murree, Galliyat and nearby areas from Monday evening till March 11 with intermittent gaps.
“Total storm at isolated places is also likely in Islamabad and upper parts of the country during the forecast period,” the statement said.
