The days of smog are over, Punjab welcomes fresh rain

Punjab had been enveloped by polluted winds and fog throughout the last month

ISLAMABAD: The first wintery showers that lashed parts of Balochistan a day earlier on Tuesday brought much-awaited respite to the smog-hit plains of Punjab, where the thick toxic cloud has paralysed the routine lives of people.

According to the Meteorological Office, most parts of the country received scattered showers which are expected to continue till Wednesday night.



According to unofficial data, the toxic smog 30 times the recommended limit had badly disrupted flight operations.

According to experts, due to the dense smog people in Punjab could not see the sun for the last fifteen days. This adversely impacted not only on their health but on the agriculture as well.

They have termed this year’s smog as one of the worst extreme weather events under the impact of climate change the country had faced in history.

Meanwhile, a senior official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department told The Express Tribune: “From now onwards, people living in Punjab will be able to breathe a fresh and clean air.”

He said smog will subside after the rainy spell followed by a drop in temperature in the country.

“Now there are no chances of smog in the country, as rain has washed away all dust particles suspended in the atmosphere which formed a thick cloud of toxic particles and the farmers in India are also done with burning their crops,” he said, adding, “Foggy condition will prevail in the country.”



“This rainy spell is beneficial for winter crops as it will provide moisture and water to the crops,” he said, adding, “Despite this chances are there that Pakistan will continue to experience water scarcity in the season.”

According to the Met Office, during the next 24 hours, more rain/thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at scattered places in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha divisions), Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Dense foggy/smoggy conditions are likely to subside in Punjab’s plains.

During the last 24 hours rainfall recorded in Balochistan: Zhob (23mm), Barkhan (8mm), Quetta (3mm). Punjab: Layyah (16mm), Bhakkar (15mm), D.G khan (12mm), Kot Addu (11mm), Khanpur (9mm), Shorkot, Chakwal, Noorpurthal 08mm, Jhang (7mm), Islamabad( Airport (7), Zero Point (4) Multan, Kamra, MB Din (6), Mangla (4), Bahawalpur, Kasur, Murree, Sargodha (3), Toba Tek Singh, Rohri, Joharabad, Gujranwala (2), Lahore (1). KP: Risalpur (30), DI Khan (14) Bannu, Cherat (5), Kohat (2). Kashmir: Kotli (3). Sindh:  Jacobabad (6), Moenjodaro (4), Larkana (3) and Rohri, Sukkur (2).