ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to face a spell of harsh winter weather as a strong western weather system moves into the country, bringing widespread rain, thunderstorms and heavy snowfall to northern and western regions from December 20 onwards, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Thursday.
According to the PMD, the weather system will enter Balochistan on December 19 and gradually spread to upper and northern parts of the country by December 20. The impact is expected to continue for several days, with snowfall and rain forecast until December 24 in some areas.
Balochistan will be the first province to feel the change. Rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and snowfall over hilly areas are likely in Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Zhob, Harnai, Musakhel, Noshki, Kalat, Khuzdar, Panjgur, Awaran, Kech, Turbat, Gwadar and nearby districts from the evening of December 19 to December 20.
The system will then move towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where rain and thunderstorms with moderate snowfall in upper areas are expected from the night of December 20 to December 22. Affected areas include Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, Waziristan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bannu, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Kohat, with short breaks in between.
Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir are likely to receive moderate to heavy snowfall, raising concerns for residents and travelers. Snow and rain are expected in Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar, as well as Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Hattian, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur from December 20 night to December 23 morning.
In Punjab and the federal capital, rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, the Potohar region, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Noorpur Thal and Layyah from December 20 evening to December 21. Tourist spots such as Murree and the Galliyat are expected to receive snowfall along with rain during the same period. Several central Punjab cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan, may experience cloudy weather with light drizzle.
Sindh is likely to remain partly cloudy to cloudy on December 19 and 20, with no major rainfall expected.
The Met Office has warned that heavy snowfall could block roads and make travel dangerous in mountainous areas such as Naran, Kaghan, Swat, Dir, Kohistan, Murree, Galliyat, Astore, Hunza and Neelum Valley between December 20 and 22. There is also a risk of landslides and avalanches in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
Tourists and residents have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel, stay updated with weather alerts and take extra precautions as the winter system approaches.
