QUETTA, Dec 22: Quetta and parts of northern and central Balochistan remained in the grip of severe cold on Thursday with temperature dropping to minus 11 and minus 12 Celsius in Quetta and Kalat.

The people of Quetta experienced the coldest night of the season between Wednesday and Thursday with minimum temperature hitting minus 11.

The maximum temperature on Thursday was eight Centigrade. The temperature was zero Centigrade a day earlier.

A chilly dust storm originating in Iran had entered Balochistan on Wednesday covering the entire Quetta valley and reducing the visibility in the provincial capital.

The inclement weather badly affected PIA flights schedule with most flights reporting delays of four to five hours.

Poor visibility conditions made travel on highways and roads difficult, forcing drivers to switch on full lights in the day.

The weather also affected normal life in Quetta and other parts of the province with most of the people staying indoors and roads and streets of the provincial capital and other parts of the province presenting a deserted look. A majority of shops, markets and shopping plazas closed early in the city as there were no customers.

The met office has forecast more harsh weather in the next 48 hours in Quetta and parts of central and northern Balochistan and the temperature is likely to drop further.

As weather travails were not enough, gas load-shedding added salt to people’s wounds with prices of kerosene oil, coal and wood registering a marked increase.

Meanwhile, thousands of people in different areas of Quetta staged protest demonstrations against unannounced load-shedding and low gas pressure in the provincial capital and other parts of the province.