Cold wave grips northern region

Published February 12, 2016
MUZAFFARABAD: Schoolgirls playing on a road during snowfall in the city on Thursday.—AFP
MUZAFFARABAD: Schoolgirls playing on a road during snowfall in the city on Thursday.—AFP

ISLAMABAD: Northern parts of the country experienced heavy precipitation over the last 24 hours, with Muzafarrabad and Islamabad’s Margalla Hills seeing their first snow in a decade.

Thick snow also covered Murree, the Galiyat, Abbottabad, Swat, Chitral, parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, while heavy rains and snow claimed six lives in Peshawar and Lower Dir.

People in the Quetta valley and parts of northern and central Balochistan braved extremely cold weather on Thursday with temperature dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius.

The chilly Siberian winds which started blowing on Tuesday night kept the city in its grip on Thursday, paralysing the normal life. Most people in Quetta preferred to stay indoors and the traffic remained thin.

Shops and commercial centres were closed much before their schedule.

In many areas of Quetta there were reports of suspension of supply or very low pressure of gas which multiplied hardship of people.

In many areas, sewage water overflowing from gutters froze on roads.

The situation was not much different in Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Pishin, Yaro, Khanozai, Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Toba Achakzai, Toba Kakari and Zhob.

In Harnoi, a mountain range in the Kalat district 9,000-foot high, the temperature was reported to have dropped to minus 16 degrees Celsius.

People in the area, famous for its juniper forests and wildlife, are migrating to other areas.

According to weather experts, cold waves in Russia and countries in Eastern Europe have their impact on Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

They said the cold wave would continue for two to three days. Officials of the Meteorological Department said that chances of snowfall could not be ruled out.

Saleem Shahid from Quetta contributed to the report

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2016

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