Dense fog likely to grip plain areas of country: PMD

ISLAMABAD: Dense fog is likely to grip plain areas of the country from Thursday onward due to persistent cold wave gripping most parts of the country, according to the weather experts.The present rain spell started from Monday will end on Wednesday in most parts of the country while temperatures will significantly fall in the coming days, Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, Meteorologist, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Tuesday.

Talking to APP, he said the Met Office earlier forecast three rain spells during the month of December and the present rain spell was the second one. The third rain spell is likely to start in most parts of the country during the last ten days of the month.

Imran Siddiqui revealed that there were also chances of frost due to chilly weather in the coming days. The present rain spell like the earlier one has increased water availability in the reservoirs, benefited wheat crop at sowing stage and relieved the citizens from smog related diseases, he said.

About the snowfall, the Meteorologist of PMD said snowfall will continue in Galliyat, Muzzaffarabad and other mountainous areas during the rain.

During the next 24 hours, more rain-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills (with few hailstorm) is expected at isolated places in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan while cold weather is likely in Sindh and Balochistan.

A westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and may persist till Wednesday.

The rainfall recorded during the last 24 hours was Kashmir: Rawalakot 49 mm, Muzaffarabad 43, Kotli 39, Garidupatta 36.

Punjab: Murree 46, Islamabad (Zero point 41, Saidpur 36, Golra 17), Rawalpindi ( Chaklala 30, Shamsabad 31, Sialkot (cantt 29, Airport 19), Lahore (Punjab university 18, Airport 16, PBO 14), Mangla, Jhelum 16, Gujrat 13, Gujranwala 12, Joharabad 11, Mandi Bahauddin 10, Kasur 08, Jhang 07, Noorpurthal, Shorkot 06, Faisalabad, Okara, Multan 05, Sargodha (PAF 05, city 03),Sahiwal, Kot Addu 03, Toba Tek Singh, Bhakkar, Layyah 02 and Rahim Yar Khan 01 mm.

The rainfall recorded in other areas was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Cherat 33, Lower Dir 31, Dir 26, Risalpur 25, Balakot 23, Kakul 21, Pattan, Saidu Sharif 18, Malamjabba 16, Drosh 15, Mirkhani 14, Peshawar (Airport, City 12), Chitral 11, Kalam, Kohat 06, Bannu 01, Parachinar 08, Gilgit-Baltistan: Skardu 07, Chillas, Astore 03, Gupis, Bunji 01 mm.

The snowfall recorded during the period was Malamjabba 06 inches, Kalam 04, Astore 03, Murree 02, Skardu 01 inch.

The lowest minimum temperature recorded during the last 24 hours was Kalat -09 C, Quetta -07 and Dalbandin -05 C.