LAHORE: A strong moderate to heavy rain and snow causing system is approaching Pakistan on Sunday ridding the country of the present extended severe cold wave and its plains of depressing foggy conditions.

The system is expected to give rain and snowfall over the hills in the country from Sunday to Wednesday, says the Met department in its latest forecast on Thursday.

A shallow westerly wave is presently affecting upper parts of the country and may persist in northern parts till Saturday.

The Met department says the present system will generate scattered rain with snowfall over the hills in north Balochistan (Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Pashin, Loralai, Kholo, Barkhan, Ziarat districts), upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Haripur and Abbottabad districts), during Thursday (evening) to Friday.

Light rain is also expected at isolated places in Attock, Rawalpindi districts, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the period.

Light rain with snowfall over the hills is also expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Mansehra and Kohistan districts on Saturday. Snowfall is also expected in Murree and Galliyat during the period.

Under the influence of the new strong system, widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in Balochistan during Sunday and Monday.

All districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir will receive widespread rain with snowfall over the hills from Sunday (night) to Tuesday (night).

Rain is also forecast in districts of Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur on Monday. Karachi may also receive light rain on Monday (night).

The Met department said moderate to heavy falls may generate flash flooding in Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Kholo, Zhob and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan during Sunday (night) and Monday.

Moderate to heavy snowfall is also expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Neelam Valley, Bagh and Haveli districts during Monday to Tuesday.

Murree, Galliayat may also receive moderate to heavy snowfall during the period. Foggy conditions are likely to subside during the wet spell.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2020