RAWALPINDI:As the temperature dropped to 4°C in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the Meteorological Department said the mercury will further drop next week as cold winds will be entering the country.

December and January are the coldest months in the twin cities during which the temperature usuallydrops to -1 to -2°C .

“A cold wave in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and upper parts of the country is expected in mid-December as cold winds from the north will enter the country,” said Met Office spokesman Rashid Bilal while talking to Dawn.

He said there would also be chances of light rain in scattered areas of the Potohar region and upper parts of the country.

When his attention was drawn to social media reports that a cold wave may hit the country at the end of this month which will break the record of the last 50 years, he said such predictions were fake as “we cannot predict the intensity of the cold wave.”

On the other hand, the Met Office issued an outlook for the season from December to February which said currently a La-Niña condition was prevailing and likely to continue with moderate intensity in December-February while the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) condition was expected to approach towards a neutral state during the forecast period.

Based on the global and regional circulation patterns, a tendency for normal precipitation is predicted over most parts of the country during the period.

Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and northern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are expected to receive slightly above-normal precipitation while the southern belt, comprising the adjacent parts of Sindh and Balochistan, will receive slightly below-normal rainfall.

The central parts are likely to receive near-normal precipitation from December to February.

Dry and stable atmospheric conditions during the current season may cause thick foggy conditions in plain areas.

The dry conditions are likely to adversely impact the air quality index in urban (southern and central Punjab) areas, resulting in smog development.

The mean temperatures are likely to remain below-than normal due to the prevailing dry conditions during the forecast season, it added.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021