PESHAWAR: Thick fog continued to blanket the capital and other plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday.

An official of the Met Department told Dawn that foggy conditions in the province would prevail in the days ahead as the weather system bringing rains was nowhere in sight.

He said that Peshawar and other areas of the province would continue to suffer from dense fog in the morning and evening but the situation would ease during the daytime.

The official said that visibility in the provincial capital on Tuesday ranged from 50 meters to 100 meters in the morning but up to 1,000 meters afterwards.

Met Office says rainfall ‘not in sight’

An official of the National Highways and Motorways Police told Dawn that the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway had been closed to traffic from Rashkai to Swabi due to thick fog.

He, however, said the Swat Expressway was still open to vehicles.

The official said that usually, the closure of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway led to the closure of the Swat Expressway to traffic.

Meanwhile, growers in Swabi district have complained that they’re struggling to work in their fields due to the prolonged foggy conditions.

“It has not rained for several months. Now, the dense fog coupled with cold weather has added to our woes as we can’t work on their crops,” local farmer Taj Khan told Dawn.

He claimed that growers in the province had not seen such prolonged foggy weather in their lives.

Mr Khan wondered what would happen to growers if they didn’t work for a week.

He complained that animals kept by farmers were also badly hit by the inclement weather.

Dense fog along with severe cold was also reported in Charsadda district, where thin attendance was seen in government schools.

Besides inclement weather, the closure of CNG stations and availability of rickshaws kept most of the students away from their educational institutions.

The residents demanded authorities extend winter holidays for the entire month of January and reduce the duration of the next summer vacation. Also, working professionals have complained that they’re facing serious difficulties in going to offices.

Daily-wage workers said the bad weather has caused financial problems for them by limiting work opportunities.

The Met Department forecast cold and dry weather in most districts of the province on Wednesday (today).

It said that dense fog was likely to persist in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and surrounding areas.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024