LAHORE: The Met Office predicted rain in upper and central Punjab, Islamabad and Kashmir and snowfall in Murree, Nathia Gali, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, with thick fog continuing to cover most plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh on Saturday (today).
On the other hand, in the last couple of days, the cold weather coupled with dense fog beginning around 6pm has severely disrupted routine life, especially for those travelling inside or outside the cities.
Read Also: Industrial units, settlements exempted from Ravi project
I got home from the office on Friday and Saturday nights in about two hours, as there was almost zero visibility on the way. To reach home, it normally takes 20 to 30 minutes to cover a distance of around 15 kilometres, Zeeshan, a motorist, told Dawn on Saturday. “Owing to the thick fog, I also narrowly escaped a few accidents.”
The sun has shone over the city and its surrounding neighbourhoods for just a brief time in the last few days. With the sudden emergence of fog that eventually dominated the urban and rural areas, it started losing power in the afternoon. Most individuals were confined indoors by the cool weather and wind in Punjab and upper Sindh.
Light showers likely in Lahore, other cities of province
“Dense fog continues to dominate nights and early mornings in Sukkur and its neighbouring districts, causing great difficulties for travellers, especially those suffering from asthma. Dilshad, a resident of Sukkur, told Dawn that the same weather is prevalent in a number of cities on the way from Sukkur to Hyderabad. “For people with low immunity — children and the elderly — this winter seems very difficult.”
The Met Office suggested that the upper and western parts of the country have been reached by a westerly wave and will remain in the upper parts until Monday (tomorrow). It added that in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper KP and north Balochistan, cloudy weather is forecast in the upper regions with rain and snowfall. In the plain areas of Punjab, thick fog is expected to remain.
Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal and Rahim Yar Khan had minimum temperatures of 3.4, 3.17, 3.8, 3.5, 5.2, 5.5 and 5.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. On Sunday, there will be light showers in Lahore and other Punjab towns (today). Fog will also continue to rule the areas of Punjab and upper Sindh,” Dawn told a Met official. “There are days of sunshine ahead, but nights and early mornings will remain in the grip of severe cold and fog.”
Read Also: Benazir Bhutto was a role model who ruled hearts in the Islamic world, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Leh -14, Gupis and Skardu -9, Astore -8, Parachinar-5, Bagrote, Kalam and Gilgit -4 and Kalat -3 recorded the lowest minimum temperatures.
Meanwhile, the cold weather and various technological problems disrupted the operations of Pakistan Railways, as various trains departed late from Lahore to Karachi and other parts of the country.
The Karakoram Express left at 3:30 pm instead of 3 pm, followed by the Pak Business Express, which left at 5 pm instead of 4 pm for Karachi. The Karachi Express and Shah Hussain Express both departed, according to a press release, at 5:30pm instead of 5pm and 9:30pm instead of 7:30pm, respectively.
Discussion about this post