ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: A massive hailstorm on Thursday hit the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad amidst heavy downpour as roadsides, greenbelts and the Margalla hills gave an aura of Murree-like snowfall.

People, in a mood of festivity, could be seen recording the hail through their cellphones and video cameras or just taking snapshots with the rare ice-covered backgrounds. At many places, children and youngsters could be seen hitting each other with snowballs and erecting snowman.

The brief appearance of sun piercing through the clear afternoon sky made the snow-filled rooftops, balconies and roads sparkle like beads for some time.

But visibility during the hailstorm and rain remained extremely poor, as the traffic police advised drivers to take extra care and drive far below the speed limits.

The traffic police said incidents of skidding were witnessed on the Islamabad Highway and Murree Road. Some accidents were also reported from many parts of the cities, as drivers could not control their vehicles.

In the afternoon, the minimum temperature still remained at the bearable level of 7C compared to the -2.5C recorded a few days back. However, the hail that normally melts away quickly remained for hours to be enjoyed by the residents even later in the evening.

“The intensity of the hail was the same across the whole of Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” said Asif Ali, the driver of a public transport van plying between Secretariat and Rawalpindi Saddar.

The Meteorological Department said the capital recorded 29mm rain while in Rawalpindi it was 21mm.

The Met Office forecast dry and cold weather in the twin cities during the next 24 hours amidst chilling winds that were likely to bring the temperature further down. Night temperature in Islamabad could sink even to below zero due to cold winds from Friday onwards.

The weather is badly affecting the lives of people living in small villages in the outskirts of the twin cities, where power outages have become frequent and gas is not available. The chilling and wet conditions have added to the woes of the rural population already faced with the severe and prolonged wheat flour crisis.

In the twin cities, the sale of soup and hot drinks as well as warm clothes has increased, shopkeepers say. A good number of people could be seen visiting public spots of Daman-i-Koh and Shakarparian to enjoy a view of the city blanketed with snow.

TAXILA: Heavy rain followed by an intense hailstorm lashed Taxila and blanketed the city with a white cover.