The ongoing heatwave will persist in the country all through next week, with temperatures rising by 7 to 9 degrees in cities where it has already hit 40 degrees, Pakistan Meteorological Department said in its weather forecast on Friday.

Daytime temperatures are likely to rise sharply in most parts of the country during the next week due to high atmospheric pressure. The hot, dry weather also puts the country at risk of a water shortage, which will affect agriculture.

The forecast said that the daytime temperatures in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir would be 7-9 degrees Celsius higher.

The most affected areas due to the recent heatwave include Sibbi, Dadu, Jacobabad, and Larkana, while it would be 6-8 degrees higher in upper and central Sindh, central and southern Punjab and Balochistan. According to the Met department areas near northern KP, and Kashmir are expected to receive high winds and rainfall.

The frequency of power blackouts has also increased since last week as electricity demand hit record levels.