RAWALPINDI, Feb 15: Intermittent rains on Friday lashed Rawalpindi and Islamabad lowering temperatures and troubling the residents of low-lying areas and the road users.

The meteorological department recorded 2mm rain in Rawalpindi and traces in the federal capital that brought the maximum temperatures down from 14 to 12 degrees Celsius in Rawalpindi and from 13 to 11 degrees in Islamabad.

The Met Office said there would be showers during the next 24 hours.

The twin cities witnessed an overcast sky followed by the intermittent rains, which made majority of people to stay indoors.

Traffic remained choked at many places like 6th Road, Chandni Chowk, Marrir Chowk and Pirwadhai Mor as the commuters complained of great inconvenience due to the inundated roads.

Besides the rain, overflowing gutters also contributed to accumulation of water on the roads and streets.

It was another bad day for motorists as they had to steer through potholed roads making driving a nightmare and causing thick traffic jams at several places.

Among the areas most affected by rain and faulty sewerage system were F-6, G-6, Aabpara Market, Lal Quarters, I-8/4, G-8, I-9 and I-10 in Islamabad.

People, especially those in Pindi, also complained of hours-long power outages and low gas pressure throughout the day.

They also regretted that the intermittent rains had thrown traffic into chaos due to the city administration and wardens’ failure to manage it.

The 6th Road flyover worth Rs1.017 billion and Chandni Chowk flyover built at a cost of Rs2.5 billion to decrease the traffic problems at Benazir Bhutto Road could not end the traffic jams at Rehmanabad Chowk, Naz Cinema Chowk and Kohati Bazaar U-turn.