PMD says Ramadan crescent may be sighted in KP on Feb 18
“The PMD said there is a fair chance of sighting the Ramadan crescent on Feb 18, particularly in parts of KP including Peshawar.”
Key points
- The PMD said there is a fair chance of sighting the Ramadan crescent on Feb 18, particularly in parts of KP including Peshawar.
- The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet in Peshawar to make the official decision.
PESHAWAR/KARACHI: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet in Peshawar on February 18 to determine the start of Ramadan, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) signalled a reasonable chance of sighting the crescent in parts of the country.
According to the PMD, weather conditions in the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — including Peshawar — are expected to remain clear, improving the likelihood of observation. In upper areas of the province, skies may remain partly cloudy, which could affect visibility.
The department said that by tomorrow evening the moon’s age would be over 19 hours and it could remain above the horizon for roughly 35 minutes, factors that generally support visibility. The PMD also indicated that some locations in Balochistan and Sindh may have a chance to witness the crescent.
In an advisory shared with the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ research wing, the PMD noted that the new moon for Ramadan 1447 AH will be born on February 17 at 5:01pm (Pakistan time), and that astronomical parameters point to a fair probability of sighting on the evening of February 18.
The PMD additionally shared region-wise moonset timing guidance for February 18, advising that local observations may continue until moonset in each area.
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