Rain spell to weaken today

Islamabad: The current rainy spell, which began on Sunday in Islamabad and Rawalpindi causing a cold wave, will weaken today (Wednesday).

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Metrological Department recorded the maximum rainfall of 54 and 45 millimetres in Rawalpindi and Islamabad respectively.

Islamabad’s Zero Point area got 45 millimetres rain, Golra 43, Saidpur 41, Bokra 34mm and New Airport 33, Rawalpindi’s Chaklala 54 and Shamsabad 36 with the weather being windy and overcast.

According to PMD forecasting officer Muzzamil Hussain, the current wet spell is caused by a western wave, which is affecting northern parts of the country and is likely to weaken today (Wednesday).

He forecast that more scattered rains were expected in Malakand and Hazara divisions, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while isolated places in Mardan, Kohat, Peshawar, Lahore, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi divisions and Islamabad would also continue to receive rainfall. The weatherman said foggy conditions were would occur in plain areas of Punjab during morning hours, while snow would fall on hills of Malakand division including Swat, Chitral, Kalam, Malamjabba and Upper Dir, Hazara division, Murree, Galiyat, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday.

He said Islamabad's weather would be partially overcast on Thursday.

The weatherman said 14 inches snowfall was reported in Murree. The minimum temperature remained eight Celsius in Islamabad.

The intermittent rain threw traffic out of gear. Vehicles moved at a snail's pace on major roads, especially in Rawalpindi, in the morning, afternoon and evening, the school and office opening and closing time, respectively. Many roads and streets, especially in low-lying areas, faced water-logging.

Many motorcyclists were seen pull over under bridges for cover, while many automobiles broke down on waterlogged roads and thus, causing traffic jams. There're tailbacks at many places with the traffic cops struggling to regulate the movement of vehicles. Things were the worst at the arteries near Faizabad intersection. Amid honking of horns by others, some motorists entered wrong lanes in order to make their way through traffic to destinations and thus, worsening the gridlock.

Many blamed the situation on the mismanagement of the traffic police, while some maintained that a good number of motorists didn’t have road sense, while others didn’t use it especially during rush hours.

There were also complaints about traffic lights going out of order at major intersections during rainy days. The road users demanded that the traffic police come up with a comprehensive strategy to prevent a mess on the roads during rainy days.

However, as the rains turned the weather pleasant, families turned to Islamabad's Pir Sohawa, Daman-e-Koh, Lake View Park, Shakarparian and shopping malls in large numbers.