LAHORE  -  The provincial capital sizzled at 44°C on Tuesday, with the real feel reaching 46°C. The MET office has warned of a further rise in temperatures by 5°C to 7°C over the next 48 hours. Officials said daytime temperatures are expected to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal in the upper half of the country (including central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, KP, Kashmir, and GB), and 4°C to 6°C above normal in the southern half (including upper/central Sindh, southern Punjab, and parts of Balochistan) on June 11 and 12. A severe heatwave is likely to persist until Thursday. The public has been advised to avoid direct sun exposure between 11:00am and 4:00pm and stay hydrated. Meteorologists attributed the intense heat to prevailing continental air and a high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere, which is expected to continue for the next two days.

Wednesday’s forecast includes mainly hot and dry conditions across most regions, with very hot temperatures in the plains and chances of dust-raising or gusty winds in the afternoon. Bhakkar recorded the highest temperature at 50°C. In Lahore, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 84, with PM2.5 concentration measured at 5.4 times above the WHO’s annual guideline.