ISLAMABAD: Although scattered rainfall is expected in parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad today (Wednesday), the overall rainfall in the area as well as in the country has been around 80pc below normal this winter.

The long-awaited rainfall at the start of this week resulted in just 1 millimetre of rain, and a similar amount of rain is expected as a result of the current westerly wave affecting the upper parts of the country.

Scattered rain-thunderstorms and light snowfall over the hills are expected in the Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Quetta, Zhob, Sargodha and Rawalpindi divisions, as well as in Islamabad, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.Due to the lack of rainfall in December last year and this January, cold and dry weather conditions prevail across the country.

However, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) officials have predicted active rainfall in February.

“As the winter rains have been delayed by a month there was negligible rainfall in January and it is likely to start from the second week of February,” PMD Chief Meteorologist Dr Mohammad Hanif said.

He said two to three spells are expected in February, and three spells are expected in March.

“This shows that winters months, too, have been delayed in the country, as active snowfall is expected in February and even March in Murree and Galiyat,” he added.

Due to the dry spell, Murree and its surrounding hills received only 18 inches of snowfall, as opposed to receiving up to 6ft as it typically does in January.

Winter months in Pakistan are considered to stretch from November to March, with spring beginning in the second part of March.

The traditional rainfall pattern accounts for 10pc of total rainfall in December, around 40pc in January, 30pc in February and 20pc in March.

The Met Office has cautioned farmers and water management authorities across the country because of the lack of rainfall.

Foggy conditions are likely to prevail in the plains of Punjab in the morning hours, and dense fog is expected on highways from Kharian to Gujranwala.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2018