PESHAWAR: A cold wave swept through large parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after rains lashed several districts and mountainous areas received the first snowfall of the season.

However, no damage to public life and property was reported.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said that over the last 24 hours, Kakul recorded46mm of rainfall, Balakot 29, Pattan 14, Malam Jabba 12, Dir 8, Dera Ismail Khan 6 and Drosh and Peshawar 4.

The provincial capital received intermittent rains between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening.

According to the PMD, Peshawar recorded a maximum temperature of 23 degree Celsius on Monday.

Meanwhile, police on Monday restricted the people’s movement between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan via Kaghan Valley following the season’s first spell of snowfall and heavy downpour in upper parts of Hazara Division. The weather turned chilly. “Fearing any mishap in snowfall on Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, which connects KP with GB, we have restricted the entry of motorists, tourists and passengers beyond Basal and Jalkhad in the upper parts of Kaghan valley,” district police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur told reporters.

The snowfall, which began in the early hours in the Kaghan valley and other high-altitude parts of the Hazara division, continued intermittently throughout the day.

The District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur ordered police personnel not to allow motorists and passenger vehicles to proceed further to Babusar Top and GB as the upper parts of Kaghan valley had so far received five to six inches of snowfall, raising the risk of accidents.

“This early snowfall has occurred after decades, astonishing locals and bringing a sudden chill to the valley,” said Mian Waheed of Battakundi in Kaghan Valley.

He said that residents had already harvested and transported their potatoes, peas, walnuts, apples, and other crops to lower parts of the country.

“We have observed that almost all glaciers in Kaghan valley, which in previous years used to remain intact even during summers, vanished this time, apparently due to climate change driven by rapid industrialisation,” he said.

Meanwhile, heavy rain that began on Sunday night in Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas, Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan districts continued intermittently throughout the day, flooding streets and bazaars and disrupting traffic flow.

The residents said they didn’t expect such harsh cold in the early days of October.

The mountain peaks of Chitral also received the first snowfall of the season, causing an abrupt fall in temperatures and causing a cold wave to sweep through the valley of Chitral. Scattered rains were also reported in different parts of the district.

The Lowari Pass (10230ft) in the south and Shandur Pass (12200ft) in the north-eastern region connecting the district with the rest of the country also received snow of lower thickness, which disturbed the flow of vehicular traffic for many hours.

The white strips of snow adorned the mountain peaks of the Hindu Kush range, causing a dazzling and eye-catching view all around. The people were seen wearing woolies to protect themselves from the cold wave.

A spell of rain was reported in the plains and snowfall in the upper reaches of Swat on Monday, marking the onset of winter in the scenic valley.

According to residents, the mountain ranges of Gabin Jabba, Malam Jabba, Kalam, Utror, Gabral, Matiltan, Mankiyal and surrounding areas received the season’s first snowfall on Sunday, blanketing the peaks in white and drawing tourists eager to witness the early snow.

The rain in the region’s lower parts and snow in the upper areas significantly dropped temperatures, forcing residents to wear warm clothes to cope with the cold.

Shopkeepers in Mingora and other towns reported an increase in demand for winter garments and dry wood for heating. Hotel owners in tourist areas expressed hope that the early snowfall would attract more and more visitors in the next few weeks.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2025