RAWALPINDI: The Met Office has predicted heavy rain and snowfall across the country from today (Friday) until next week, with fog conditions likely to subside.

In a press release, the Met Office said that a shallow westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and may persist in the north until Saturday.

This will be followed by another strong rain and snow-bearing system from Sunday to Wednesday.

Scattered rain and snow over the hills is expected in north Balochistan – in the Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Pashin, Loralai, Kholo, Barkhan and Ziarat districts – and in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Haripur and Abbottabad districts on Friday.

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

Light rain and snow over the hills are expected in Kashmir, GB and the Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Mansehra and Kohistan districts on Saturday.

Snowfall is also expected in Murree and the Galiyat in this period.

The Met Office has predicted widespread rain and snow over the hills in Balochistan on Sunday and Monday.

It has issued warnings for flash flooding in Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Kholo and Zhob and hill torrents in D.G. Khan on Sunday night and Monday.

Moderate to heavy snowfall is expected in the Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Neelum Valley, Bagh and Haveli districts on Monday and Tuesday, and Murree and the Galiyat may also receive moderate to heavy snowfall during this period.

Widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in all KP districts, Punjab, Islamabad, GB and Kashmir from Sunday night to Tuesday night.

Rain is also expected in the Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur districts on Monday, and light rainfall is expected in the Karachi district Monday night.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2020