Winter arrives in K-P with snowfall

SWAT:

The first snowfall of the season has been reported on the mountain ranges in Swat, Dir Upper and Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) considerably increasing the element of chill in the air as the major towns in these areas received rainfall and hailstorms.

Peshawar, Lower Swat, Dir Lower and Swabi districts also experienced heavy downpour.

This has finally ended the long and hot summer season, much to the relief of the general public, at least in the mountainous districts of the province as people are forced to wear warm cloths and use blankets and overcoats. The cold weather has also increased the consumption of dry fruit, chicken and corn soup and the traditional green and salty teas in these parts.

Peshawar received a medium downpour in the afternoon with strong winds which resulted in colder weather across the district. With the arrival of winter, the Peshawar based dry fruit dealers have experienced a surge in sales. Peanuts are supplied to the entire province from the city and to the neighboring Afghanistan in bulk.

“This downpour is a welcome sign for our business and for the local residents too as it is the start of winter in the Peshawar valley. Traditionally in the past dry fruit from Afghanistan reached Peshawar including almond and nuts and from here they were exported to the Gulf,” said a local fruit dealer Subhanullah, adding that after the US arrival in Afghanistan this changed completely but dealers started exporting Pakistani dry fruit like peanuts and walnuts to Afghanistan instead.

“There were no Afghan almonds on the local market in the past two decades. The dealers in Afghanistan demanded payment in US dollars. Afghanistan produces best almonds in the world. We hope that it would be available in Pakistan once again after the US withdrawal,” he said.

Heavy rainfall was reported from Swabi too.

In Swat rainfall brought with it landslides which closed many roads including Bisham Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2021.