A cold wave continued to blanket much of the country on Monday, with the National Weather Forecasting Centre (NWFC) warning that a new western disturbance will affect upper parts of Pakistan through Tuesday.
In its daily advisory, the NWFC cautioned that heavy snowfall could disrupt traffic and lead to road closures and slippery conditions in several northern and western areas. These include Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galiyat, Neelum Valley, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Noshki, Harnai and Zhob.
The centre also warned of possible landslides and avalanches in mountainous regions of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, advising tourists to exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel during the forecast period.
According to the NWFC, rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and snowfall are expected in Balochistan, KP, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday. Heavy rain and moderate to heavy snowfall may occur at isolated locations in south and northeast Balochistan, Kashmir and upper KP, while isolated spells of rain, wind, thunderstorms and snowfall are also likely in southern Punjab and upper Sindh.
Islamabad and upper and central Punjab are expected to experience rain, wind and thunderstorms during the evening and night hours.
On Tuesday, rain and snowfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds are forecast for upper KP, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Punjab. Heavy rain and moderate to heavy snowfall may continue at isolated spots in Kashmir and upper KP. Elsewhere, cold and dry weather is expected to prevail.
Over the past 24 hours, most parts of the country experienced cold and dry conditions, while rain and snowfall were recorded in northeastern and western Balochistan and upper KP. The lowest minimum temperature recorded by 10:30am was minus 12 degrees Celsius in Leh, followed by minus 8°C in Kalam and Ziarat.
Relief operations in Orakzai, Kurram
Amid heavy rain and snowfall, the Pakistan Army carried out relief operations in KP’s Orakzai and Kurram districts, according to Radio Pakistan.
In Orakzai, troops cleared snow-blocked roads on an emergency basis. In neighbouring Kurram, where snowfall severely disrupted movement, the army launched a rescue operation and restored an eight-kilometre stretch of road using heavy machinery.
The Manato–Sadda Road had been completely blocked, stranding numerous vehicles. Army personnel safely evacuated passengers and vehicles to secure locations, the state-run broadcaster reported.
Cold spell expected in Karachi: PMD
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in its three-day forecast for the Karachi division, predicted partly cloudy conditions with chances of light rain today in Sukkur, Larkana, Kambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad and Dadu under the influence of a westerly wave.
Partly cloudy to cold, and at times very cold, weather is expected to prevail across most of Sindh. For Karachi, the PMD forecast a high of 21–23°C and a low of around 11.5°C today, with daytime humidity at 46 per cent, dropping to 15–25pc in the evening. Northeasterly to easterly winds are expected.
Cold and dry conditions are likely to persist on Tuesday and Wednesday, with similar temperatures. Highs are expected to range between 21–23°C on Tuesday and 22–24°C on Wednesday, while lows may fall to 9–11°C and 10–12°C, respectively.
Humidity on Tuesday is forecast at 45–55pc during the day, decreasing to 20–30pc in the evening. On Wednesday, humidity is expected to rise to 60–70pc in the daytime and 40–50pc by evening. Winds on Tuesday are likely to shift from northeasterly to northwest or westerly, while Wednesday may see a change from northeast or easterly to west or southwesterly.