KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday forecast widespread rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall in western and upper parts of the country from December 20 to 22, as a western weather system is expected to enter Balochistan on December 19 and move towards the northern regions a day later.
According to the PMD, rain accompanied by gusty winds and snowfall over hilly areas is likely in several districts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Zhob, Harnai, Noushki, Musakhel, Turbat, Gwadar, Jiwani, Lasbela, Kech, Awaran, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Washuk, Chagai, Kharan and Kalat from the evening of December 19 to December 20.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rain and wind-thunderstorms with moderate snowfall in upper areas are expected from the night of December 20 to December 22, affecting Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Waziristan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bannu, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Kohat.
The PMD has also warned of rain and thunderstorms with moderate to locally heavy snowfall in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir from the night of December 20 until the morning of December 23. Affected areas include Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar in Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur in Kashmir.
In Punjab and Islamabad, rain and thunderstorms are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and the Potohar region, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Noorpur Thal and Layyah from the evening of December 20 to December 21. Snowfall is also likely in Murree and the Galliyat during the same period. Cloudy weather with light drizzle is forecast for several other districts, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Multan, Jhang, and Dera Ghazi Khan on December 20 and 21.
Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are expected in most parts of Sindh on December 19 and 20, while smog and fog are likely to persist in central and southern Punjab as well as upper Sindh.
The PMD cautioned that snowfall may lead to road closures and slippery conditions in mountainous tourist destinations such as Naran, Kaghan, Murree, Galliyat, Swat, Hunza and Skardu between December 20 and 22. There is also a risk of landslides and avalanches in the hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
Tourists have been advised to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel during the forecast period. For regular updates, the public has been urged to consult the PMD website or use the Pak Weather mobile application.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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