LAHORE: An active westerly system entered Balochistan on Friday and yielded in its opening spell light rain in Karachi and other coastal areas.

The spell is expected to generate more rain as well as snowfall over hills in most parts of the country till Wednesday, further intensifying winter. Different parts of Karachi and coastal areas of Balochistan received light rain on Friday. Ormara in Balochistan received 2mm of rainfall.

The Met department said the system would produce rain with snowfall over the hills at a number of places in Balochistan till Sunday.

Other parts of Sindh may also receive rain on Saturday. Rain and snowfall over the hills are likely to start in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas from Saturday. The spell will persist till Wednesday.

A spell of rain-thunderstorm coupled with snowfall over the hills is expected at different places in upper Punjab from Sunday to Wednesday. Rain is also expected at isolated places in southern Punjab on Saturday and Sunday. Rain accompanied by thunderstorm and snowfall is also expected over hills of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Saturday to Wednesday.

Meanwhile, it continued of be dry and extremely cold in major parts of the country, especially the plains of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mountainous regions and their lower catchments on Friday.

Minimum temperature in Skardu was recorded at -13°C, Astore -12°C, Kalam -11°C, Gupis -10°C, Kalat and Dir -7°C, Gilgit, Rawalakot -6°C, Parachinar and Hunza -5°C, Quetta and Drosh -4°C, Chitral and Murree -3°C, and Islamabad -1°C.

Wind in Lahore and Faisalabad was biting last night as the temperature dropped to 2°C. Weather was clear during the day but it took several hours for the bright sunshine to warm up the cold-bitten city.

The minimum temperature in Peshawar was 1°C and in Multan 5°C.

Published in Dawn January 14th, 2017