RAWALPINDI: The twin cities received rain varying from light to heavy on Tuesday.

Four flights from Islamabad to Gilgit, Skardu, Karachi and Urumqi were cancelled on Tuesday.

An official at Islamabad International Airport said the cancelled flights were PK-605R for Gilgit, CZ-6008 for Urumqi and CA-945 for Karachi.

However, other flights for international and national destinations were slightly delayed.

The Met Office predicted more rains in and around the twin cities on Wednesday.

It recorded 23mm rain at Islamabad International Airport and Zero Point, 15mm at Bokra, 14mm at Golra, 12mm at Saidpur, 15mm at Chaklala and 11mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.

The Met Office said a westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist till Wednesday.

The cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country while rain with snowfall is expected in northeast Punjab, Islamabad, upper KP, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, roads in Rawalpindi city and cantonment were a mess because of the rainwater. There were also reports of choking of drains as well as low gas pressure.

Meanwhile, eight people were injured in two traffic accidents during rain in Rawat.

A truck driver and his helper suffered fractures after their vehicle veered off the road and rammed into another vehicle near T-Chowk.

Sher Mohammad, 60, and his helper Mohammad Iqbal, 54, were trapped in the truck and were pulled out by Rescue 1122 staff. In another accident, a dumper hit a passenger bus on Islamabad Expressway.

Six people identified as Lal Din, 48, Shahid Khan, 20, Sohail Khan, 40, Jamshaid Rahat, 40, Ms Jahanzaib, 40, and Mohammad Shabbir, 60, were injured.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2020