LAHORE, Dec 15: Lahore and some other cities in the Punjab received light to heavy rain on Monday, marking the beginning of the winter rainy season which lasts till March.

The Met office reported light to moderate snowfall over the hills in the NWFP and Northern Areas which was caused by a weak westerly system.

The rain in Lahore was coupled with thunder. Though it was light, it washed dust-covered trees and plants.

The maximum temperature was 18.5 degrees C against 21 degrees C on Sunday but people wore warm clothes in anticipation of chill in the air.

Fish, both raw and fried, dry fruit and second-hand warm clothes at numerous Lunda Bazaars in the city were in great demand. Though their rates were high, people were still buying them.

The Met office recorded 6mm of rain at the airport and 4mm at the Jail Road observatory. It remained partly cloudy throughout the day with the Met office forecasting more rain during the next 24 hours.

Lahore’s average minimum temperature in December is 6 degrees C and the maximum 26 degrees C.

The Met office also reported rain in Sialkot (5mm), and snowfall with light rain in Malam Jabba, Skardu, Muzaffarabad, Chitral, Balakot and Saidu Sharif.

It expected more rain with snow over the hills in the northern Punjab, the NWFP and the Northern Areas during the next 24 hours.