Heavy rain, snowfall likely in most parts of Pakistan from Saturday

A spell of downpour and snowfall is likely to begin from Saturday in most areas of the country under the effect of a "strong westerly weather system," the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Wednesday.

Bringing a long dry spell to an end, the weather system is expected to enter the western and upper parts of Pakistan on Saturday evening or night. "It is likely to grip most parts of the country on Sunday and may persist till Tuesday," the forecast said in a press release.

The showers are also expected to sweep away the prevailing smoggy conditions in urban cities, the Met Office said, adding the water stress in barani areas is also likely to subside.

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It predicted that rainfall will be beneficial for the wheat crop.

The PMD advised all relevant authorities to remain "vigilant" during the forecast period.

The press release noted that isolated heavy showers are expected in Balochistan's Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Nokkundi, Dalbadin, Noshki, Turbat, Panjgur, Peshawar, Pasni, Jiwani, Lasbela, Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Bolan, Sibi, Kohlu and Barkhan areas of Balochistan on Saturday and Sunday.

However, the meteorological department warned that the rainfall may result in flash floods in some areas of Sibi, Bolan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Nasirabad, and Kohlu.

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Likewise, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsaddda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, and Kohat regions are also likely to get their share of downpour during this period.

Heavy and isolated spells of rain are also expected in Punjab's Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan areas over the weekend, and in Sindh's Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur regions.

Heavy and isolated spells of rain are likely in Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan from Sunday to Tuesday, Met Office said.

It further said that Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, and Kasur in Punjab are also expected to receive heavy rain between Sunday and Tuesday.