RAWALPINDI: After a long dry spell, the twin cities are likely to receive rain from Saturday night, the Met Office said.

Th downpour will continue till Sunday.

The Met Office said a weak westerly weather system was likely to enter upper parts of the country and persist till Sunday.

Under the influence of this weather system, rain with snowfall on the hills is expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Northeast Punjab from Saturday night to Sunday.

The weather advisory of meteorological department said rain/wind-thunderstorm was also expected in Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob and its surrounding areas on Saturday.

Rain-wind-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected in Kashmir, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad on Sunday.

Light rain/wind-thunderstorm is expected in Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal and Lahore on Saturday(night)/ Sunday.

Snowfall is also expected in Neelum Valley, Bagh, Rawalakot, Nathiagali, Galliyat, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Malam Jabba on Sunday.

The Met Office predicted that prevailing smog conditions were likely to subside in plains of Punjab.

It said that dense fog was likely to develop over the plain areas of Punjab from Monday while night temperatures are likely to fall gradually after the wet spell.

Apparently, the rain prediction was good news for the people suffering from ailments due to dry weather.

According to doctors, mostly people in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are suffering from dry cough, throat and chest infections, skin and other diseases due to the prolonged dry spell.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021