RAWALPINDI: The twin cities will remain in the grip of cold wave, with light rain expected in scattered areas of the Potohar region on Monday (today).

According to a Met official, a shallow westerly wave will keep the western and northern parts of the country in the grip of cold weather. He said light rain was expected in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Potohar, upper Punjab and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, rain and snow are anticipated in northern Balochistan and hilly areas of KP whereas fog and smog will prevail in the plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh.

Regarding the twin cities, the official said though no strong wave was visible, there were chances of light rain in a few places on Monday.

He said on Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded in Islamabad was 1 degree Celsius, which was likely to drop to zero degrees Celsius on Monday.

About the effects of the cold weather, Dr Mohammad Akhtar of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) said the present cold and dry spell was giving rise to various diseases including flu, typhoid, asthma, dry cough and scabies, particularly among children and old people.

He urged parents to protect their children against chill by ensuring they were properly covered, and stressed on increasing the intake of water to maintain the required moisture in the skin.

Mr Akhtar said a balanced diet and soup could minimise the effects of dry and cold weather, emphasising on the use of boiled water and washing hands before eating.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2024