ISLAMABAD, July 5: Good news for the masses is that the ongoing spell of heat wave is going to end and the temperature is likely to drop significantly in the region including the twin cites as Friday is predicted to witness the first monsoon showers.

The Met Office has said that the moist and warm winds coming from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal have already met the cold air coming from the North over Kashmir and western Himalayas.

“Islamabad and Rawalpindi are expected to witness overcast day accompanied by light rain on Friday and the pattern is going to improve in the following days – bringing heavy rains,” it says.

According to Met Office rain and dust-thundershower is also expected at scattered places of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad besides Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar and Kohat divisions.

While the maiden monsoon shower has already been witnessed in Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas with Kotli receiving 42millimetres (mm) of rain; Rawalakot, 25.6mm; Murree, 23mm; Kakul, 19.5mm; Sialkot, 15mm; Balakot, 14mm; Malamjabba 9mm; Saidu Sharif, 7mm; Bhakkar, 2mm; Garhi Dupatta, 1mm and scattered rain showers were also reported to have refreshed Jhelum.

However, mercury soared around 42 degrees Celsius in the federal capital. “The night between Wednesday and Thursday was cool and cloudy due to the mixing of hot air and cold winds in the area,” said an official of the Met Office adding, “The temperature in the twin cities has declined as compared to the previous days and it will further go down in the coming few days.” However, he added, the setting in of monsoon will also bring hot and humid atmosphere to the region.

The maximum temperature recorded in country was 47 degrees Celsius in Bannu, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar and Dalbandin while weather in Lahore was reported to be comparatively pleasant at around 39 degrees Celsius. Temperature in other cities was recorded as: Quetta, 40 degrees Celsius; Karachi 34 degrees Celsius; Peshawar 43 degrees Celsius; Muzaffarabad, 42 degrees Celsius; Gilgit, 40 degrees Celsius; Murree, 29 degrees Celsius; Multan, 44 degrees Celsius and Faisalabad, 44 degrees Celsius.