PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday issued an advisory for farmers and persons affiliated with livestock businesses to take adequate precautionary measures to safeguard their crops and livestock from adverse effects of thunderstorms and hailstorms predicted by the Met Office across the province.
It warned that as per the Met Office forecast, a westerly wave had entered the country and would cause rain with dust and thunderstorms and hailstorms at isolated places across the province from April 27 evening to the first week of May.
It said that rain with dust and thunderstorms and hailstorms were expected in Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charasadda, Khyber, Bajaur, Orakzai, Kurram, Kohat, Karak, Hungu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank and Waziristan.
The Met Office warned that strong wind and hailstorms could cause damage to loose infrastructure and standing crops in the province while heavy rains could cause flash floods in Mansehra, Abbottabad, Chitra, Shangla, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Torghar, Battagram and Kurram from May 1-4.
Similarly, landslides might occur in vulnerable areas of the province during the period while day temperature was likely to drop significantly.
PDMA has directed all the district administrations and line departments to take precautionary measures to avert the loss of human lives, livestock and properties.
It further directed to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the situation with regular feedback to PDMA.