LAHORE, Feb 9: Widespread rains lashed most parts of the country on Friday, lowering temperature in many areas.
The strong westerly system would be active over the Punjab with rain continuing for the next 48 hours while the Northern Areas and Kashmir would receive rain for at least 72 hours, Chief Meteorologist Shaukat Awan told Dawn in Lahore. The winter rains last from January to mid-March.
"The weather system is causing rain in Balochistan, Sindh and all over Punjab. It will cover the NWFP and the Northern Areas in the next 12 hours, generating rain with heavy downfall in isolated places and snowfall over the hills," Mr Awan told Dawn.
Mist or fog would affect the plains of Punjab in mornings and could disrupt air, rail and road traffic, he said.
The rain started in Lahore and Islamabad in the evening and was continuing till the filing of this report. Rain was also reported from the Cholistan area.
Weather experts said that the weather system would be followed by a cold front which would bring down temperatures in most areas of the country over a week.
Snowfall and heavy rains was reported from the Bajaur area. Hill tops around the Quetta Valley were covered with snow. Reports of snowfall were received from Muslim Bagh, Kan Mehterzai, Harboi, Toba Achakzai, Ziarat and other areas in Balochistan.
The Met Office reported 18mm rainfall in Quetta, 12mm in Parachinar received 12mm, 17mm in Kalat, 10mm in Bannu, 6mm in Dera Ismail Khan and Malamjabba, 10mm in Sibbi, 5mm in Muzaffarabad, and 4mm in Zhob and Okara.
In Karachi, Met Office’s observation station at the airport reported 6mm rain, Masroor station reported 5mm rain, Faisal station 11mm and North Karachi 6mm till 8pm. According to news reports, rain emergency was declared in Malir and Landhi towns.
Parts of upper and lower Sindh received light rain on Friday, causing power breakdown in most areas.
In Hyderabad district, light rain was continuing since afternoon. Intermittent rains were reported from Mirpurkhas, Mirwah, Digri, Tando Jan Mohammed, Jhuddo, Naokot, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Umerkot, Pithoro, Samaro, Kunri, Khipro, Sindhri, Sufi and Shadi Palli, inundating low-lying area.
Tharparkar and Sanghar districts also received rains.
Upper Sindh areas, including Khairpur, Therhi, Babarloi and Kandhra, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Nawabshah, Shikarpur and Ghotki also received light to moderate rains.
Naushahro Feroze, Bhirya, Kandiaro, Bhirya Road received moderate rains with hailstorm which lasted for over five minutes.
