PESHAWAR, Jan 10: The overall weather conditions improved with bright sunshine on Thursday after heavy overnight rain accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning in the NWFP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), while the upper parts of the province and hilly areas continued to receive snow for the sixth day.

However, thick clouds covered the sky again in the evening and light rain begun in Peshawar. The local meteorological department forecast more rain with thunderstorm, saying that the city had received 30 millimetres of rain.

The let-up in the rain brought respite to the people, mainly in the plain areas where ceilings of kutcha houses had begun leaking from five days of continuous shower.

Heavy snowfall continued to lash Upper Dir after a brief interval. Three to four feet of snow had fallen in some areas over the past five days with Dir Khas town receiving one foot of snow.

People experienced difficulties as electricity supply remained suspended and bazaars were shut. The telephone system was also disrupted as the exchanges in more than 10 villages had broken down. All links roads were blocked by snow, while very thin traffic plied on the Timergara road.

The closure of roads caused the prices of essential commodities to shoot up. Even the price of a candle doubled from Rs5 to Rs10.

The road leading to the Lowari Tunnel was closed with the workers of the Korean company Sambu stranded in the camp at the site. Sources said seven to eight feet of snow had fallen on the mountains, making it difficult to transport essential commodities.

The sources said the Sambu staffers had requested the authorities to provide them relief items by helicopters.

Mansehra and adjoining areas received heavy snowfall following six days of rain. Various roads, including Karakoram Highway, remained blocked and hundreds of passengers were stranded in Kohistan, Kaghan and other areas.

Abbottabad city received the first snowfall of the season. The snowfall was reported in Thandiyani, Nathiagali, Changla Gali, Donga Gali, Ayubia and other parts of the Galyat. At least two feet of snowfall had been recorded in the area. The continuous rain and snowfall blocked all the roads in the area.

As the temperature dropped, little business activity was seen in the city barring the utility stores and fair price shops which people thronged to get flour.

Rain and hailstorm lashed the Swabi district on Wednesday night and Thursday. The chilly weather and continuing rain crippled life in the area.

In Chitral, life limped back to normalcy as snowfall stopped and traffic resumed in the city.

After a break of about seven days, the Pesshawar-bound passengers will resume their journey via Kunar province of Afghanistan.

District Nazim Maghfirat Shah told Dawn that the district government had obtained permission from the Afghan authorities to provide security to the passengers.

Pakistan International Airlines District Sales Manager Abdul Haleem said there was a fair chance in the wake of clear weather that fights for Peshawar could resumed after a lapse of nine days.

Swat, Kalam, Madyan and other hill stations received heavy snowfall and rain continued to lash Mingora city and its suburbs. Six to nine feet of snow had fallen over the tourist resorts. All roads, including the Madyan-Kalam road, remained blocked and people feared a shortage of food and other commodities in the valley.

Snowfall also continued in Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram and other hilly areas in the region. Widespread rain was also reported.

Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Waziristan also received heavy rain on Wednesday night.

In Fata, Landi Kotal and surrounding areas received mild snowfall on Wednesday night, which disrupted power supply and telephone service in the entire area.

The Tirah valley was also in grip of severe cold because of heavy snowfall. The snow had blocked the routes to the valley, creating a shortage of food and other items of daily use.

The rain and snowfall also damaged several houses in and around Landi Kotal.

The Bajaur Agency remained in the grip of severe cold as the mountains received more rain and snow. People intending to go to Chitral via Afghanistan remained stranded as the roads leading to the Ghakhi and Nawa passes were blocked.