January 31, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 27, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: The country is having its first wet spell of winter as parts of Punjab, NWFP, northern Balochistan and Kashmir received rain over the last 24 hours.

Sources in the Met Office said the present wet spell was closely followed by another ‘weather system’ which is likely to hit most parts of the country over the next 48 hours.

The Met Office said the rain, which started at around mid- night on Wednesday, was likely to continue in the next 24 hours with scattered places in Punjab, upper NWFP and Kashmir receiving more rains.

According to the Met Office record, Rawalakot in Azad Kashmir received more rains, measuring 40mm, which was still continuing. Rawalpindi received a rainfall of 37mm with Islamabad receiving 34mm.

Besides a persistent and widespread rainfall in the country, Malam Jabba, the only ski resort of the country located in the NWFP, Ziarat in Balochistan, and Murree in the Punjab received snowfall over the last 24 hours.

Snow was falling in Murree till filing of this report.

According to the Islamabad Met Office’s record, by 1pm on Thursday, Murree, Malam Jabba and Ziarat had already received over one feet of snowfall and expressed the hope that it would increase as the ‘weather system’ was still persistent. Kalam and Kakul (Abbottabad) also received light snowfall besides rain.

The residents of Murree, when contacted, said snow was still continuing to fall late in the evening. Some people said there was more than two feet of snow on the Mall Road in Murree.

“A severe cold wave is expected to grip most parts of the country over the next 48 years following the on-going rains. This year we are expecting 30 per cent below normal rainfall during winter season and some good wet spells are likely to prevail in the country over the next couple of months,” sources in the Met Office told Dawn.

They said the current wet spell was particularly good for the wheat crop in the rain-fed (Barani) areas and would markedly improve the productivity of the crop.

Experts said there was plenty of snow and rainfall in Patriata and adjoining areas, the catchment area of Simly Dam— the biggest source of water supply to the federal capital. “This will substantially improve the water inflow in the reservoir,” they said.

The sources said it was the second wet spell of the winter this year. “During the last wet spell, which lasted for over 24 hours about a month ago, there was some rain but no snowfall.

“Even the rainfall during that wet spell was not as high as in the present one.

Other areas which received rain over the last 24 hours included Peshawar (29mm), Jehlum (29mm), Risalpur (21mm), Kotli and Muzaffarabad (20mm), Saidu Sharif (19mm), Balakot (14mm), Parachinar (16mm), Abbottabad/Bannu (10mm), Mianwali (13mm), Attock (9mm), Sargodha/Mandi Bahauddin (8mm), D.I. Khan (5mm), Chitral (6mm), Sibbi, Zhob and Kohat (4mm), Sialkot and Multan (3mm) while Lahore and Faisalabad received light drizzle.