Winter is coming: Temperatures in Gilgit fall below zero

Winter seems to have arrived in Gilgit as the temperatures fell below freezing for the first time this season. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the lowest temperature recorded in Gilgit on Wednesday night and Thursday morning was minus one degrees Celsius. Gilgit has an average winter temperature of 0.4 degrees in November while it falls to -2.3 in December. The lowest temperatures ever recorded in these months have been -8.5 and -11.1 respectively. According to a spokesman for PMD, continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country and a westerly wave is expected to affect upper and central parts of the country during the next 24 hours and likely to persist till Saturday.  Furthermore, snow is expected over the hills at isolated places in Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2016.