RAWALPINDI: Murree received first snowfall of the season early on Monday with Met Office forecasting more rain and snowfall in the next two days.

The Met Office warned that snowfall in upper parts of the country may affect transportation on January 30 and January 31. Tourists were advised to be cautious.

Murree received one inch of snow on Monday. Usually, snowfall starts in the hill station in December but this year the area saw a prolonged dry spell. The Met Office said a westerly wave was affecting western and upper parts of the country and likely to persist in upper parts for a few days.

Mainly cold weather is expected in most areas of the country while cloudy in upper areas. However, rain (snowfall over mountain) is expected in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar region, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Kashmir and surrounding hilly areas. Shallow to moderate fog is likely to persist in few plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh.

The Met Office recorded one millimetre rain at Islamabad International Airport, drizzles in other parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and four mm rain and one inch of snow in Murree. The district administration has completed arrangements to avoid any untoward situation during the snowfall and for the safety of visitors and the residents in Murree.

Deputy Commissioner Murree Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi said arrangements had been made for tourists coming to enjoy snowfall. “Facilitation centres have been established at 13 places in Murree where officials of relevant departments will be guiding tourists,” he said.

He stated this while reviewing arrangements made for the tourists in the control room and different areas, including Jhika Gali, Kuldana and Kashmir Point. Additional Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Qasim Ejaz and Assistant Commissioner Abdul Wahab also reviewed the arrangements.

They said that all personnel and machinery were operational. At the facilitation centres, personnel from various departments are available to provide assistance and guidance. The administration has taken measures to remove snow from roads. Salt was also being sprinkled on the roads.

“Traffic is flowing normally. All administrative bodies are active in the field. The administration has taken measures to remove snow from the roads,” said the DC.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024