LAHORE: A strong westerly system is starting to generate widespread rain and snowfall over the hills in the country, particularly focusing Balochistan where normal life and road traffic is likely to be disrupted in the next 24 hours.

A shallow westerly wave is already generating light rain and snowfall over the hills in the upper parts of the country for the past around two days.

According to the Met department on Saturday, heavy rain and snowfall may generate flash flooding in local nullahs of northern districts of Balochistan (Quetta, Mastung, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Harnai and Pashin) during Sunday and Monday.

Heavy snowfall, average 2 feet, in (Quetta, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah and Pashin districts) may disrupt normal life and transportation in these areas.

The strong westerly wave is likely to affect lower and central parts of the country during the next 24 hours.

Rain/thunderstorm (snowfall over mountains) with cloudy weather condition is expected at isolated places in upper hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during Saturday night. Fog is likely to prevail in few plain areas of central/south Punjab and upper Sindh during morning and night hours.

On Sunday, widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is also expected in lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, south/central Punjab while at isolated places in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Sindh, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Cold and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country.

Meanwhile, fog prevailed at isolated places over plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh on Saturday. Rain/thunderstorm occurred at isolated places in Kalam, Dir, Pattan, Mir Khani, Balakot, Malamjabba, Chitral, Drosh, Saidu Sharif, Quetta, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

Snowfall was also recorded in Kalam, Malamjabba and Chitral during the period.

Kalam recorded 16mm of rain, Dir (Upper 13, Lower 01), Malamjabba 10, Pattan 9, Balakot 5, Drosh, Mirkhani 2, Chitral, Saidu Sharif 1, Garhi Dupatta 4. Muzaffarabad 3, Rawalakot 1, Quetta 3, Gupis 01.

Kalam received 17inch of snow, Malamjabba 06 and Chitral 1.

The lowest minimum temperature was recorded in Skardu that was -9 degrees C. It was followed by Gupis, Parachinar -6, Bagrote, Malamjabba -5, Astore and Kalam -4.

Sunshine, though dull, compensated for Friday night’s low minimum temperature in Lahore and other adjoining cities. Lahore’s maximum temperature was 18 degrees C as against Friday night’s 4 degrees C.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2020