Cold wave grips twin cities

Islamabad : A cold wave swept Islamabad and Rawalpindi due to intermittent rains on Saturday forcing residents to stay indoors.

During the last 24 hours, Islamabad received 26 millimetres rain in Golra area, 39 millimetres in Saidpur, 24 in Bokra and 27 in New Airport, while 19 and eight millimetres rainfall was reported in Rawalpindi's Shamsabad and Chaklala areas respectively.

The weathermen said the rainy spell caused by a westerly wave would subside in the next 24 hours.

He said mainly very cold and dry weather was expected in most parts of the country on Sunday.

“More rain-thunderstorm with snow over the hills is expected at isolated places in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas, while foggy conditions are expected in southern Punjab and upper Sindh in the morning hours,” he said.

The rainfall left slushy mess and puddles on roads due to poor drainage inconveniencing motorists and commuters.

With the weather being pleasant, the people thronged restaurants and malls in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Some even drove to Murree hills to spend the weekend.

Normal rains likely this month: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast little above normal rains and snowfall in the northern parts of the country, including Islamabad, in the current month.

However, other parts of the country will see below normal rainfall.

In a weather advisory developed for the month of January in light of the global and regional climatic conditions, a spokesman for the PMD said the El-Nino conditions were likely to strengthen in January, while the North Atlantic Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole would stay in neutral phase. “Though an overall normal rainfall is likely to occur in the country in the current month, northern parts of the country, including upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad, will get slightly above normal rainfall and snowfall,” he said. The weatherman said southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were expected to receive slightly below normal rainfall in the month. He also forecast foggy conditions in the plains of central and lower Punjab, Peshawar and Hazara division of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in January.