Winter onset: As rains turn into snow, K-P turns white

Tourists make beeline to hill stations to enjoy weather

PESHAWAR:

Snow has blanketed tourist resorts in province. The cold weather is a bane for locals who often get snowed in or stranded on the roads. However, visitors seeking a change in weather are heading to the hills, happily.

Temperatures have hit zero or below in some parts, including Upper Dir, Chitral, Upper Swat and Hazara Division. Soon after snowfall, temperature plummeted to zero in Chitral, -5 degrees Celsius in Malam Jabba and -2 degrees Celsius in Upper Dir. The official told The Express Tribune, “Lowari Top received two and a half feet of snow, but further rains might lead to its closure – more rain is expected in January and February.” The Met Office in the city could not provide accurate data as it has no observatory near Lowari.

Freezing temperatures were also recorded in the plains in K-P.

According to a Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) official, mountainous areas are expected to receive more snow, and more rain is predicted December 16 onwards. However, he said, the weather will remain dry and cold for the next four days. Two spells of light to moderate rains are expected in isolated places in K-P in the second and fourth week of December with dense foggy weather conditions.

According to the Met Office, dry and cold weather will likely prevail in most parts of the country in December.

Tourists throng hill stations

Tourists have started visiting parts of Swat to enjoy the snowfall where district government in collaboration with Pakistan Army is carrying out efforts to keep roads open for commuters.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) Director Muhammad Ishtiaq said, “Galiyat has received around four inches of snow this week.” He said, “GDA has finalised preparations to keep the area open for tourists even if it receives more snowfall.”

“Tourists frequent Galiyat, including Ayubia and Nathiagali in summer, but in winter the number usually falls due to extreme cold,” said a senior official.  He added, “At least 600 to 700 tourists enter Ayubia and Nathiagali from Murree each weekend.”

Further predictions

PMD Peshawar Director Mushtaq Shah told The Express Tribune, “K-P has received normal [amounts of] rain this year [as yet] and considering the prevailing global atmospheric and oceanic conditions, more rain is predicted across the country.” He added, “An additional 20% snowfall is expected over the hills in the province.”

According to the Met Office, there are chances the province will receive more snow than usually expected around this time of the year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2015.