Cold wave in sight as PMD forecasts rain, snowfall

Islamabad : Though the chilly weather has slightly eased in Islamabad during the last few days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast that a cold wave sweeping through the region is close at hand.

According to the PMD, a spell of rain and snowfall will occur in different parts of the country from Thursday to next Tuesday.

After hitting the freezing point earlier in the week, the mercury is currently hovering around 2-3 degree Celsius reducing chillness in the weather.

Scattered rains with snowfall over the hills is expected in northern Balochistan’s Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Pashin, Lora Lai, Kholo, Barkhan and Ziarat districts and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Haripur and Abbottabad districts from Thursday evening to Friday.

However, light rain will fall at isolated places in Punjab's Attock and Rawalpindi districts, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the period.

There is also a forecast of light rain with snowfall over the hills in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Mansehra and Kohistan districts on Saturday and snowfall in Murree and Galliyat during the period.

The PMD said widespread rain with snowfall over the hills would occur in Balochistan on next Sunday and Monday and widespread rain with snowfall over the hills in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir from Sunday night to Tuesday night.

The rain will also fall in Sindh's districts of Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur on next Monday and light showers in Karachi on Monday night.

The PMD said a moderate-to-heavy snowfall was expected in Murree, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Neelam valley, Bagh and Haveli districts from next Monday to Tuesday.

It added that foggy conditions would subside during the rainy days. The PMD, however, warned that a moderate-to-heavy rainfall could generate flash floods in Balochistan's Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Lora Lai, Kholo and Zhob areas and hill torrents in Punjab's Dera Ghazi Khan on Sunday night and Monday.