Seasonal variation of rainy days in Pakistan
2013
Naheed, G. (Pakistan Meteorological Dept., Islamabad (Pakistan)) | Kazmi, D.H. (Pakistan Meteorological Dept., Islamabad (Pakistan)) | Rasul, G. (Pakistan Meteorological Dept., Islamabad (Pakistan))
Monsoon precipitation (one of the major rainfall systems of the country) is the lifeline of Pakistan's water resources which falls in summer from July to September. It not only caters the peak power supply demands but also fulfills the highest water demands of field crops and gathers the reserves to meet the requirements during low flow periods in next 4-5 months. Winter brings lot of snow over the northern mountains which melts in early summer and maintains the sustainable river flows for power generation and irrigation before the onset of the summer monsoon. Climate change has imposed rather negative impacts on the rainfall systems of the country, mainly by demolishing the seasonal rainfalls or by modifying its intensity. EI-Nino induced shortfall of precipitation triggered Pakistan history's worst drought in terms of length and intensity, afterward a rising trend is being followed, embedded by increased frequency of heavy downpour events. In the present study the main focus was on the rainfall frequency by incorporating the rainy days equal to or more than 2.5 millimeters. Daily data of last 50 years for all the available meteorological stations was incorporated. All parts of the country were analyzed equally and it revealed that the upper parts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province and the northern areas are the main vulnerable, with slope of trend line more than "2" either positive or negative. The said areas are not only vital for the agriculture sector as well as for the hydrological cycle of the country.
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