ISLAMABAD, Jan 4 :The first rain-spell of the year 2022 continued across the country intermittently for the second consecutive day providing much needed relief to the citizens from the seasonal illnesses besides subsiding the prevailing smoggy conditions which caused hindrance for travelers as well as benefiting the wheat crop.
The intermittent rain spell started Monday evening, continued till Tuesday significantly decreasing the temperatures. It provided the citizens with an opportunity to enjoy winter delights while staying back in the warmth of their homes.
The cold weather has also increased the sale of winter delights including chicken corn soup, doodh jalebi, gajar ka halwa, Kashmiri tea, samosas, fritters, fried fish and dry fruits etc.
For Murad Ali, a resident of G-9 sector, gajar ka halwa is most loved seasonal delight in his family. “I use to buy this almost twice a week as it is difficult to prepare it at home owing to the low gas pressure”, he said talking to APP.
The sale of second hand clothes has also registered an increase especially after this rain-spell due to the price hike and the limited purchasing capacity of people.
“Although the long-awaited rain-spell is of moderate intensity in most parts of the country but still it has helped cleared the smog that engulfed various parts, reducing miseries of the citizens”, said Asima Kamran, a working woman.
Smoggy conditions in the plains of Punjab due to lack of rain was posing serious health risks to the citizens and inconvenience to the commuters especially on motorways leading to different cities of Punjab province.
While this rain-spell was a sigh of relief for the citizens who were suffering from different ailments and allergies due to dusty and polluted atmosphere and especially for the travelers facing zero visibility on highways and motorways.
The influx of tourists can be witnessed in the hilly areas of the country who are enjoying the snowfall along with their families, taking advantage of the winter vacations.
During the last 24 hours (till Tuesday morning), the rainfall recorded in different cities of Balochistan is as follows: Pasni 70 mm, Gawadar 57, Ormara 27, Turbat, Jiwani 24, Quetta (City 09, Samungli 07), Kalat 04, Dalbandin, Khuzdar, Panjgur 03, and Sibbi 01 mm.
The rainfall recorded in different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is: Parachinar 20, Dir (Upper 19, Lower 14), Malamjabba 18, Kalam 13, Peshawar, Cherat, Takhtbai 11, Saidu Sharif, Pattan 10, Drosh, Balakot 08, Mirkhani 06, Chitral 05, Kakul 03, and Bannu 02.
In Gilgit Baltistan cities the rainfall record reads: Gupis 12, Bagrote 03, Skardu 02, Gilgit 01, Kashmir: Garidupatta 05, Rawalakot, and Muzaffarabad 04.
Punjab: Murree, Chakwal 04, Attock 03, Islamabad (Zero point 03, Airport, Golra, Saidpur 02, Bokra 01), Rawalpindi (Chaklala, Shamsabad) 02, Jhelum, Gujrat 02, Lahore, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Okara, Sahiwal, Narowal 01, Sindh: Jacobabad 02 mm. The snowfall recorded during the period was Malamjabba 09 inches, Gupis, Kalam 06 and traces in Hunza.
The weather experts have indicated that a strong westerly wave affecting most parts of the country may persist till Sunday.
The widespread intermittent rain with snowfall over the hills is likely in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir. Heavy rain and good snowfall is also likely in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the ongoing week.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has advised the concerned authorities to remain alert due to the heavy rainfall which may cause flash flooding in vulnerable parts of Sibbi, Bolan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Naseerabad, Kohlu and Koh-e- Suleman till Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall may cause road closures in Quetta, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Harnai, Chaman, Murree, Galliyat, Nathiagali, Kaghan, Naran, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Neelum valley, Bagh and Haveli districts from Tuesday till Thursday.
This is the first major rain-spell across the country including Punjab , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan during which the day temperatures have decreased.
According to the PMD, rain with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is expected in Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Nokkundi, Dalbandin, Noshki, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani, Lasbella, Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Jhalmagsi, Bolan, Sibbi, Kohlu, Barkhan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar khan, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur till Thursday.
Rain with isolated heavy falls is expected in Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore and Kasur till Friday.
Heavy Snowfall is also expected in Quetta, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Harnai, Chaman Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Haveli, Rawalakot, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Malam Jabba during the said period.
