Rawalpindi residents given small respite as light rain falls

RAWALPINDI: Residents in Rawalpindi found respite as light rain drizzled into the heatwave-stricken city in the early hours of Saturday.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted isolated rain accompanied by winds in various parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The twin cities are expected to experience partly cloudy conditions throughout Saturday.

Read more: Hot weather to prevail in most parts of the country: PMD

Pakistan grappled with heatwaves and scorching weather conditions through May. Authorities had to issue warnings about heatstroke and advised citizens nationwide to seek shade, stay indoors, and remain hydrated.

The increase in electricity consumption, particularly from increased AC usage to combat the heat, worsened the citizens’ woes. The strain of hot weather on Pakistan’s already depleted energy sector led to a spike in load shedding hours.

According to reports, some areas are enduring extensive load shedding ranging from 16 to 18 hours due to an electric shortfall of 6,000 megawatts (MW). The National Power Control Centre (NPCC) observed an increase in electricity demand to 25,500 MW, surpassing the total production of 20,200 MW.

Load shedding patterns vary across the country, with rural areas experiencing over 18 hours of outages and urban regions facing four to six-hour blackouts. Maintenance-related cuts compound the issue, extending outages by an additional six hours. In the twin cities alone, residents are facing load shedding periods ranging from six to eight hours.

Read more: Citizens face 18-hour load shedding amidst 6,000 MW shortfall

Despite power generation efforts, including from hydropower, thermal, nuclear, wind, solar, and even biomass, the country is struggling to meet its electricity demands.

Financial challenges also plague the energy sector, with circular debt ballooning to $17.5 billion.