When is the time when you find that you are sweating profusely, or even get some rashes, the food easily gets spoiled if not properly refrigerated, when tyres of your bicycles and cars often get punctured, when you have more juices, squashes, ice creams and kulfas, wear light-coloured clothes and picnic on beaches? Of course, it’s the summer season. During this time the country buzzes with activities mostly restricted to the summer season: summer camps for kids, picnics, swimming, outdoor games, fashion displays exhibiting summer clothing, etc.
In our country which remains hot for most of the year, summers are characterised by spells of severe heat, high temperatures, hot winds locally known as ‘loo’, as well as rainfall. Here, to be precise, the summer season begins from April/May and lasts till October. In areas located towards the coast of the Arabian Sea, temperatures range from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, while towards the interior of the country they frequently rise to above 40 degrees Celsius. However, in the Northern Areas such as Murree, Chitral, Gilgit, Kaghan, etc. the temperatures are considerably lower. People living in coastal areas such as Karachi are quite lucky as the Arabian Sea’s influence, known as ‘maritime influence’ keeps summer temperatures significantly lower, though here too sometimes temperature soars to above 40 degrees.
Another feature of summer is the monsoon rains. This rainfall is due to winds called monsoon winds that blow over the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, moving over to India and Bangladesh. They bring heavy rainfall to these areas.
As a result, when they move to Pakistan in June, they are left with less moisture, and so they don’t bring much rain. Since they enter Pakistan through the north, areas located towards the north receive most of the rainfall.
As they move southwards, their moisture is further lost, so they bring even lesser rain to these regions. Another type of rain, known as ‘convectional rainfall’, also occurs on the arrival of summer. However, it brings rain only to the northern regions of the country. Thunderstorms also occur with this type of rainfall.
It is also during summer that Pakistan receives the maximum number of people to its tourist attractions. This is the time when many people move out to the cool Northern Areas to escape the relentless summer heat. Also, as many children have their summer break, they too visit tourist attractions for recreation with their families. Foreign tourists also visit Pakistan mostly during this time. It is more suitable to travel to Northern Areas in summer than during the cold, snowy winters. All this generates income for the people living in such areas where tourists visit. Thus the summer season is to their advantage.
Mangoes are another delight of the summer. Different varieties are available, like Langra, Badshah, Sindhri, etc. Nothing is more refreshing on a hot sunny day than to eat fresh, juicy mangoes. Mango-shakes and mango-flavoured ice creams are also available everywhere as well as are made in homes. Other fruits such as apricots, peaches, grapes, plums, etc. are also common during this season.
Of course, summer is not without problems. Excessive sweating, getting suntanned and sunburned, fatigue, etc. are just some of the problems that occur during this season. There are even chances of contracting skin cancer. Therefore you should take all precautionary measures, such as drinking plenty of fluids, often bathing, wearing a sunblock or a large hat before going out, applying talcum or prickly heat powders, deodorants, etc. Try to avoid going out into the sun from noon to four o' clock in the evening, as this is the time when the sun shines at its brightest. If you use a sunscreen, use one with SPF (sun protecting factor) 15 to 20 or above. Avoiding fried, fatty foods and eating more fruits and vegetables also helps.
