Mercury dips as KP receives rain, snowfall

PESHAWAR: Breaking the long dry spell, various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received much-needed rain and snowfall on Sunday, turning the weather chilly in the mountainous areas.

Reports pouring in from lower and upper Chitral districts said that it had been raining and snowing in the valley since last night. Yarkhun, Khot, Lapur, Oveer and other areas in Upper Chitral received over one-foot snowfall. Garam Chashma, Karimabad, Kalash valleys, including Bamboret, in Lower Chitral district also received snowfall, bringing the mercury down.

The places situated on both sides of the Lowari Tunnel also witnessed six-inch snowfall.According to the officials of the National Highways Authority, the Chitral-Peshawar Road was open to traffic.

The Chitral-Gilgit Road was closed due to heavy snowfall at the Shandur Top. The rain and snowfall disrupted routine life in the remote Chitral valleys where the people have been confined to their homes due to the unfavourable weather conditions and harsh cold.

In high-altitude parts of the Hazara division - Kaghan, Siran and Konsh valleys- the snowfall started in the early morning and continued intermittently throughout the entire day.The roads linking these valleys with main highways were blocked following the heavy snowfall, causing inconvenience to locals.

The lower parts of the division in Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas received a fresh spell of downpour.

The rain, which started early in the morning, continued intermittently for the rest of the day.Also the tourists suffered in Galiyat and Nathiagali due to traffic blockades after heavy snowfall.The hilly areas in Swat, including Kalam, Malam Jabba and other tourist spots also received heavy snowfall.