QUETTA:The Met Office has forecast monsoon this year will start in the beginning of July, it emerged Tuesday.

“The climate conditions suggest that most areas may have normal to slightly below-normal rainfall,” Pakistan Meteorological Department said in its weather report.

Northern regions of the country may experience slightly above-normal rainfall, while western parts of Balochistan can expect near-normal rainfall, according to report.

Monsoon wet spell could continue from July to September, according to weather report. The PMD also pointed out possibility of occasional extreme rainfall events over catchment areas, that may generate riverine floods in Indus and other rivers.

Likelihood of urban flooding, hill torrents, and flash floods may also exist due to isolated heavy downpours. Soaring temperatures in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir could accelerate snowmelt, resulting in an increased flow of water into rivers, the Met Office said.

The Southwest or the Asian Summer Monsoon is essentially a colossal sea breeze that brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall between June and September every year.

It occurs when summer heat warms the landmass of the subcontinent, causing the air to rise and sucking in cooler Indian Ocean winds which then produce enormous volumes of rain.

The monsoon is vital for agriculture and therefore for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and for food security in the region of around two billion people.

But it brings destruction every year in landslides and floods. Melting glaciers add to the volume of water while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbates the damage.