Woollies & winter arrive as rain lowers temperature

Islamabad : Having received heavy rain in the last 24 hours, Islamabad and Rawalpindi are likely to get more downpour today (Saturday) and thus, seeing lower temperatures.

The Pakistan Metrological Department recorded the maximum rainfall of 18 and eight millimetres in Rawalpindi and Islamabad respectively on Thursday night and Friday.

Islamabad’s Zero Point area got 18 millimetres rain, Bokra 10mm and Golra two, Rawalpindi’s Shamsabad nine and Chaklala eight, while the ensuring weather remained windy and overcast by and large.

According to PMD forecasting officer Muhammad Farooq, the current wet spell is caused by a western disturbance, which is affecting upper parts of the country and will persist until today (Saturday).

He said rains coupled with thunderstorm and gusty winds occurred at scattered places of Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar and Rawalpindi divisions, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and at isolated places of Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, DG Khan and Kohat divisions during the last 24 hours, while hills received snowfall.

The weatherman said eight inches snowfall was reported in Lowari top.

He forecast that partly cloudy weather was expected in upper parts of the country today (Saturday).

He however said there was a high likelihood of rain-thunderstorm (snowfall over the hills) with gusty winds happening at scattered places of Malakand, Hazara divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala divisions and Islamabad.

Muhammad Farooq said dry weather was expected in other parts of the country in the next 24 hours. He said the maximum temperature recorded in Islamabad and Rawalpindi was 25 and 29 degree Centigrade respectively.

The rain coupled with strong winds turned the weather chilly prompting the people to cover themselves by woollies before stepping out.

The sellers of samosa, ‘pakoras’, and ‘jaleebi’ reported high sales, while the people thronged weekly and lunda bazaars to buy second-hand woollies.

However, fewer people turned to parks, other recreational places, and restaurants due to street protests and roads’ closure in the twin cities after the acquittal of a Christian woman by the Supreme Court in a blasphemy case.