PESHAWAR: Strong winds with gusts up to 55 kilometers per hour hit the provincial capital for the second consecutive day on Wednesday causing prolonged power outages.

The weathermen call the weather phenomenon ridge and said it would prevail for three to four more days.

The windstorm was also reported in some other parts of the province on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The residents of Peshawar’s many areas complained that strong winds caused the suspension of electric supply for several hours.

Weathermen say ridge system will continue for three to four days

An official of the Pakistan Meteorological Department told Dawn that the ridge system developed when a high pressure emerged on higher altitude.

He said following a weather system like the last week’s rainfall, a temperature contrast occurred between ‘cool higher’ and ‘hot lower’ areas bringing about powerful gusts of winds.

“Parts of the province recently received rains, which increased the temperature contrast between upper and lower regions causing strong winds. The winds will lose intensity as the temperature continues to rise over the coming days,” he said.

Another meteorologist attributed gusty winds to a high pressure weather system prevailing in western parts of the country, including KP and Balochistan.

He, however, said the intensity of winds was stronger in KP, especially in Peshawar.

“We recorded wind up to 30 knots or 55km per hour in the provincial capital on Tuesday and Wednesday. Besides, wind of 30 knots was reported in Bannu district,” he said.

The official said parts of central KP, including Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda and Nowshera, and the region extending to the south were hit by windstorm.

He said the ridge system was likely to persist until Friday to bother the residents of Peshawar.

Some piqued residents took to the social media wondering about the weather phenomenon.

“Calm down, Peshawar! It has been a whole day now, and this wind is still going strong. Forceful and scary. Stay safe everyone,” Sassbeth wrote on the micro-blogging website.

On his Twitter handle, Nasir Jamal Khattak wondered about those strong winds and said he had never witnessed anything like that in Peshawar before.

Mohammad Uzair, another social media user, said gusty winds was eerie and gave a very post apocalyptic vibe.

“But interestingly it has cleared the sky of smoke and haze, and can see blue sky at day and stars at night. Also, why is there static on everything? Is it the sand?”

Riffat Shah, a resident of Nauthia area, told Dawn that her area had witnessed power outages for several hours daily during the last some days.

She said the power cuts had badly affected life.

“Suspension of power supply is disrupting online classes of the children, whose schools in the city have been closed for several weeks due to the third wave of Covid-19. It is really frustrating to live without electricity,” she said.

Meanwhile, power supply to entire Landi Kotal tehsil and Torkham border area remained suspended after strong winds uprooted a two power pylons in Bhagiyarree area of Khyber tribal district early on Wednesday morning.

The local grid officials said the 132kv high transmission power lines couldn’t sustain powerful winds, which had engulfed several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since Tuesday, and came to the ground disrupting power supply to Landi Kotal and adjoining areas, including Torkham border.

They said the repair had immediately started with active support from some local volunteers.

The officials said power supply could be restored in around three days time as they had demanded for some damaged equipment from Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2021