ISLAMABAD: Tourists travelling to Murree have been advised to keep checking traffic advisories as 50,000 vehicles have already entered the town against the capacity to park only 4,000 cars.

On the other hand, cold and dry weather is likely to persist in most parts of the country for the next 24 hours.

Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Mohammad Ali Randhawa said tourists should get weather updates and traffic-related information by calling on 051-9269019 prior to travelling to Murree.

They should check air pressure in their vehicles and avoid stopping their cars in the middle of the road to take photographs, he said.

The deputy commissioner further said a number of vehicles, illegally parked on either side of the road reduced space available for other vehicles to move forward.

Traffic wardens under the supervision of inspectors have been deployed at all important points of the area.

All restaurants are jam packed with tourists and the demand for dry fruit also goes up as the mercury falls below the freezing point, he said, adding that the district administration and traffic police were striving hard to provide the best facilities to tourists coming to Murree.

The traffic police have also requested drivers to remain in their lanes if there was some blockage on the road to avoid traffic jams.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted rain coupled with snowfall in Sindh, Makran, Kashmir and its adjoining areas.

Dense fog is likely to prevail in upper Sindh and plain areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country and is likely to persist till Tuesday morning.

Rain recorded in different areas was: Dir (Upper 21mm, Lower 17mm), Kakul 21mm, Balakot 18mm, Kalam 11mm, Malam Jabba 10mm, Syed Sharif 6mm, Charat 5mm, Patan 3mm, Darosh 1mm, Lasbela 13mm, Khuzdar, Giwani 2mm, Turbat 1mm, Kashmir Garhi Dupatta, Rawalkot 10mm, Muzaffarabad 9mm, Kotli 5mm, Murree 11mm, Islamabad (Saidpur 11mm, Golra 11mm, Zero Point 10mm, Airport 3mm, Bokra 4mm, Rawalpindi 5mm, Chakwal, Narowal, Mangla. Jhelum, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan 1mm.

Minimum temperatures recorded in different areas were Leh -11°C, Gupis -8°C, Skardu -5°C, Kalam, Kalat, Hunza, Astore -4°C, Malamjabba, Parachinar, Shopian -3°C, Bagrote, Chitral, Murree, Pulwama and Baramulla -2°C.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2021