Dust storm, rain bring respite from heat to Islamabad

STORY: Strong winds triggered by the storm shrouded buildings and shook trees in the city, as meteorologists announced a drop in temperatures by 37.4 to 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit in the country that has been gripped by intense heat in the past months. Temperatures are forecasted to return to 102.2 to 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday (May 18), according to the weather agency.

Pakistan faced the hottest March in 61 years as an intense heatwave touched highs of 116.6 Fahrenheit in parts of the country. Neighboring India is also grappling with the unprecedented heat, with the country's vast majority of poor workers, who generally work outdoors, vulnerable to the scorching temperatures.

More than a billion people are at risk of heat-related impacts in the region, scientists have warned, linking the early onset of an intense summer to climate change. For the first time in decades, Pakistan had gone from winter to summer without the spring season, officials said.