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| 'Neither mango will ripen nor sweet will come': How much damage are unseasonal rains and hailstorms causing to Pakistan? |
The months of April and May did not receive as much heat as is usually experienced in Pakistan during these months, which is necessary for the mango crop. The problem of lack of heat is different, the unseasonal rain and hail in the last days of May have damaged not only mine but almost everyone's crops in the area.
The ongoing rains and hailstorms in Pakistan seem good to the people living in the urban areas, but Malik Ishtiaq, a mango farmer from the Kot Addo area of Muzaffargarh district, is very worried about this situation.
Ishtiaq says that what happened this time in the fourth and fifth months (April, May) I have never seen before nor heard anything like this from elders. Untimely rains, hail, and wind have damaged not only mango but all summer fruits and crops.
It's not just passions that are worried. Azam Naseeb, a cotton farmer from Multan, says that in April and May, the heat was less and the rains were more. At the beginning of the cotton harvest, if the heat is low, it is good for it, but after the rains, if the water stagnates, it will be disastrous. '
He said that this is what is happening to us. April and May saw less heat, which may have resulted in a bumper crop, but the rains are now incessant. According to him, there is standing water in the fields and this standing water is destroying the crop.
The normal month of hailstorm in Pakistan is March, however, during the past week, videos and pictures were seen on social media from some areas in which, according to local residents, hail weighing half a kilogram fell, which damaged vehicles and animals.
This hailstorm was not only limited to the hilly areas, but heavy hailstorms also occurred in cities like Hyderabad, Jamshoro, and Kotri in Sindh.
The hailstones that fell in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan were as big as tennis balls and according to reports, the tobacco crop in the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was severely affected by the hailstorm.
'April and May were exceptional'
According to Dr. Zaheer Babar, the spokesperson of the Meteorological Department, the series of unusual weather conditions continues in Pakistan this year as well. April and May have not only been below average this year, but rains have also been above average.
According to Dr. Zaheer Babar, there has been 12% more rain than average in April this year. The situation has been the same in May.
He said that May and June are hot months in Pakistan. But the average heat is less in May, due to the westerly winds.
Dr. Zaheer Babar says that last year we saw that the temperature in March was higher than the average but this year the temperature has not increased as much as it does in April, and May, and currently the temperature is below the average. Is.
Above-average rainfall since 1987
Dr. Sardar Sarfraz, the chief meteorologist of the Meteorological Department, says that westerly winds usually come in winter, which cause thunderstorms in addition to snowfall. Generally, these winds start in late October and the pressure begins to subside in February.
He said that last year, the pressure of western winds decreased in March itself, due to which a severe heat wave was created, but this year we are seeing that the pressure of these winds continues till the end of May. In different parts of the country, the rains continue even on the last day of May, while in different areas, especially in the northern regions, the rains will continue for the first two or three days of June.
Dr. Sardar Sarfaraz says that at least three series of rains have been recorded in May. According to our estimates, the rainfall recorded in May has been above average since 1987. This is the result of the pressure of the westerly winds. Due to the westerly winds, we have seen that snowfall has also been recorded in the northern regions in April and May.
He said that usually hailstorms are seen mostly in March. But this year, due to unusual conditions, severe hailstorms occurred in some parts of Pakistan in May, which has rarely been seen before. This was also due to unexpected westerly winds.
Dr. Sardar Sarfraz said that since last year we are seeing different weather conditions every year. "In the last three years, we have seen above-average monsoon rains. But according to the global weather conditions so far this year, it seems that the monsoon rains in Pakistan will be less than average.
He said that we are expecting the temperature to remain average except for the first few months of June. Above-average temperatures are not expected at any location. Due to climate change, there is a big loss to agriculture.
The mango harvest is delayed
Sharif Joya, who is associated with agriculture in Multan, says that in this season, the temperature in North Punjab is up to 45 and 46 degrees Celsius. This is the season in which the mango ripens and becomes sweet due to the intense heat.
Sharif Joya says that 'Earlier there was occasional hailstorm, which is very harmful to any crop, but now we see it happening every year.'
He said that hailstorm destroys standing and ready crops. It damages the fruit grains and this situation breaks the back of the farmer.
Sharif Joya saidNow all the hopes of farmers for winter fruits and crops are in the month of June. If the weather is normal and average in June, then it is expected that all the fruits and crops including mangoes will be better after the initial loss and if the weather is the same as in April and May, then God knows best.