ISLAMABAD: While cold and dry continental air continues to blow into the country from the north and northwest, there are negligible chances of rain in the coming days, which will lead to water shortage in many areas of the country, including Islamabad.

The minimum temperature was 3°C in Islamabad the night between Thursday and Friday and -1°C in Murree.

The satellite imagery on the Met Office website shows dense clouds over the Bay of Bengal and clouds over northern Iran and the Caspian Sea, but the whole region from Afghanistan to Bangladesh is clear.

“If strong winds come from the west, they can bring the clouds over Iran to Pakistan or soft winds from the east can bring some moisture,” a Met Office official said.

The Met Office has said calm and shallow winds from the north and cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country while very cold weather is expected in the upper parts of the country.

The lack of rainfall has started to take its toll on the water supply situation in many parts of the country including the capital.

“Due to a drop in water level at the Simly Lake, 25pc water rationing has been initiated,” Chief Metropolitan Officer Islamabad Najaf Iqbal said.

Lack of rainfall will increase frost conditions during morning hours in northern Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

At the same time, the Met Office has said that below normal rainfall was witnessed in October, November and the ongoing month of December in KP, Sindh and Balochistan.

As a result, 19 districts of Sindh and 11 in Balochistan are facing a drought-like situation.

Whereas the lack of rainfall is creating foggy conditions in the plains of Punjab and upper Sindh, and a warning has been issued by the National Highway Authority to motorists about dense fog in Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan.

Shallow fog is expected from Rahimyar Khan to Sukkur, Gujaranwala to Multan, Pindi Bhattian to Lahore and Faisalabad.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2018