Cold and dry weather likely to continue

With the continuing dry weather spell over the last several months, the Met Office has forecast a low rain-snowfall for the country during the current and next month. It said that the global climatic conditions and output of different forecasting models had suggested weakening of the effectiveness of the western disturbances in December-January for the South Asian region including Pakistan.
"Severe El-Nino of 2015-16, although settled to normal in early summer yet its influence has raised 2016 as the warmest year. Currently, border-line La Nina conditions prevail in the Pacific which is the cooling phase of ocean. Indian Ocean dipole is also in neutral state," it said.
It said that the country would receive less than long-term average rain and snow in December-January. "A few westerly waves will reach to central parts of Pakistan resulting in below normal rainfall/snowfall during December 2016," it added. On weather situation, it said that there was likelihood of a relative improvement in January 2017 and as near normal rainfall and snowfall was expected.
It said that fog-smog with variable intensity was likely to prevail in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the months, besides daytime temperature was expected to remain slightly higher than the normal. "Due to less than normal expected precipitation, surface and ground water resources may experience further depletion. Water management authorities and users may observe extreme care," the Met said.
In the next 24-48 hours: The Met said that mainly cold and dry weather was expected in the most parts of the country. Foggy conditions are likely to prevail over plain areas of Punjab and Upper Sindh during morning hours. Skardu was the coldest place in the country with minus six degree Celsius followed by Hunza minus five, Gupis minus four, Gilgit minus two and Astore minus one over the last 24 hours.