Strong winds continue to batter Peshawar and other areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) recording wind speeds of 70 to 80 kilometres per hour.
The high winds have also uprooted many trees. A 40-year-old tree in Badhai village near Chamkani in Peshawar was uprooted. An elder of the area, Baba Fazal, said that even though the people of the village have experienced countless storms, the ongoing strong winds are unusual.
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Similarly, in Lakki Marwat, a 50-year-old tree near Haji Baba Mosque in Lakki Tehsil was also uprooted by the high winds. A local named Sanan told the Express Tribune that he had been watching the tree for 55 years.
“Due to its proximity to the mosque, everyone could see it, but this time the wind blew down,” the local said.
“The storm did not spare the tree; the gust of wind took away our childhood memories from us. On hot summer afternoons, we used to sit and play under the shade of this tree, the old trees in Akbarpura also uprooted due to the strong winds blowing for the past three days,” he added.
Speaking to the Express Tribune, former DG PMD Dr Ghulam Rasool said that strong winds enter K-P from Multan and DG Khan during the spring season.
He said that during this time, extreme heat is prevailing in the plains of central Pakistan which causes the winds to rise and winds from colder areas try to fill this gap quickly.
“These winds have blown in the past as well, but this time their speed is a bit higher than before,” he added.
He also stated, “At present the temperature in Peshawar is 29 degrees Celsius while in Multan it is 37 degrees Celsius due to which winds are blowing south from Peshawar, however in the next two days the series will stop.”
Dr Ghulam Rasool further maintained that the ongoing weather phenomenon is not a windstorm and are merely just strong dry winds.
In 2015, a powerful storm, with wind speeds of 110 km per hour entered Peshawar from the Malakand region and then moved on to Islamabad, causing significant damage.
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In most parts of the province, including Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat, complaints of watery eyes and nosebleeds have also been received due to the dry winds.
Dr Shehzad, a skin specialist in Peshawar, said that the lack of moisture in the air has increased dryness.
“The winds have whipped up dust and other particles in the air. Wearing a mask and applying vaseline on the lips can solve this problem,” the skin specialist said.
“There is no need to panic in this situation; maximum use of water can eliminate dryness. Whenever you go out, wear a mask,” Dr Shehzad added.
The high wind speed has also caused walls to collapse in many houses in the Peshawar region.
Noman, a resident of Afghan Colony in Peshawar, reported that three people in his house were injured when a wall collapsed.
Another accident took place when the roof of a mud house near Dora Road Achini collapsed. As per initial reports, seven people were rescued from underneath the debris.
Three people were killed and four others were seriously injured. The dead included two girls and an elderly woman.
The winds have also affected the power system in the province.
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A PESCO spokesperson revealed that winds in the province have uprooted dozens of power poles due to which 11 feeders are still without power. Work is underway to restore power.
According to the Met department, the winds will likely die down by Sunday. The Met department also predicted rain in Peshawar from Sunday.
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