Prevailing weather system likely to strengthen further

KARACHI: The prevailing weather system is expected to strengthen further and expand to upcountry on next Friday, the Met Office said on Wednesday.

It said that the rain producing weather is likely to intensify in Balochistan from Thursday and may extend the wet spell across upper parts on Friday.

With isolated heavy to very heavy falls, the system may bring rain with snowfall over the hills to Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Nokkundi, Dalbandin, Noshki, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani, Lasbella, Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Jhalmagsi, Bolan, Sibbi, Kohlu and Barkhan on next Friday.

The similar weather is also expected to yield rains in various parts of Sindh including Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur on January 6 and 7.

Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan and Kohat may receive rain with snowfall over the hills (isolated heavy to very heavy falls) from January 6 to 9.

Over the same period, rain is likely in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore and Kasur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan.

Heavy snow may also fall in Quetta, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Harnai, Chaman on January 6 and 7.

Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Haveli, Rawalakot, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Malam Jabba may also see snowfall from January 6 to 9.

Farmers are advised to take precautionary measures to protect standing crops from negative impacts of stagnant water resulting from the forecast rains.

Heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in vulnerable parts of Sibbi, Bolan, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Naseerabad and Kohlu on January 6 and 7. In Dera Ghazi Khan it may strike on January 7.

Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Sargodha may undergo urban flooding on January 7 and 8. The rainy weather may cause road closures in Quetta, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Harnai and Chaman on January 7 and 8.

It is likely to block road communications in Murree, Galliyat, Nathiagali, Kaghan, Naran, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Neelum valley, Bagh and Haveli districts from January 6 to 9.

The Met also alerted the public to a possible avalanches and landslides in the vulnerable areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021