Temperatures plummet as rain,snow lash K-P

Power supply cut-off, roads blocked in various parts of the province.

PESHAWAR:

A fresh wave of snow and rain lashed across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Friday.

Temperature in Peshawar is expected to fall as low as one degree, the season’s lowest so far, after the city experienced heavy rainfall lasting 12 hours. Almost 14 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Peshawar while snow could also be seen on mountain tops.

“This is again western disturbance that has hit the province, resulting in rain and snowfall,” said Meteorological Office (Met) Peshawar’s Director Mushtaq Ali Shah. “People should get prepared to enjoy the coldest days of winter.”

The minimum temperature dropped to nine degrees centigrade while the maximum temperature stood at 14 degrees. Humidity level remained above 90%.



Commuters, however, faced problems as routes remained clogged with traffic and underground water courses overflowed in Gulbahar.

Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) also asked customers to adopt precautionary measures to avoid electric shocks. “Properly earth electrical appliances and replace/tape all worn out wires. Do not touch electrical appliances/cables with wet hands,” stated a statement issued on Friday.

Shah said rainfall would continue in other parts of the province such as Malakand, Hazara, Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as Kashmir. He added that snowfall is expected to continue in the mountain peaks of Galiat, Chitral, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir and other hilly regions of the province.

The Lowari Tunnel which is the only link connecting Chitral to rest of the province, was blocked by accumulated snow as army engineers worked on clearing internal routes in the area. While the weather left many distraught, it also attracted tourists from Peshawar, Jamrud, Bara and other areas towards Landi Kotal, where people thronged to enjoy snowfall.

According to locals, the snowfall put an end to the prevailing dry weather and will be suitable for better crop production. Rainfall recorded in DI Khan stood at 2mm, Chitral 17mm, Cherat 10mm, Balakot 15mm, Saidu Sharif 18mm and Risalpur 17mm. Snowfall in Kalam stood at 22 inches, Drosh 15 inches, Chitral 2.8 inches, Malam Jabba 17 inches and Parachinar 4 inches. More rain and snowfall is expected in these areas in the next 24 hours.

The temperature touched minus 13 degrees in Kalam, which was hit by a fresh wave of rain in the lower belt and heavy snowfall in the upper belt of Swat valley.

According to the Met Department, as much as three feet of snowfall was recorded in Kalam, Usho, Uthror and Gabral areas. The main road leading to Kalam and moving towards Usho, Uthror and Gabral was blocked and people were confined to their houses. “Our roads are closed, resulting in a shortage of food items and medicines,” said a distressed resident, Nabi Jan.

The Galiat region of Abbottabad also received around three feet of snowfall, resulting in suspension of power supply and blocked roads in most parts of the valley.

According to the Galiat Development Authority (GDA), Abbottabad-Nathiagali and Abbottabad-Ayubia road was blocked three times on Friday and had to be cleared by contractors of the Frontier Highway Authority. However, the road was blocked again at 4pm and could not be cleared immediately.

This, however, did not prevent tourists from various parts to come to the Galiat region to witness snowfall.

Electricity supply was cut off for 20 hours and is yet to be restored by Pesco authorities, said a local trader, Pervez Abbasi. Pesco officials said they were trying to restore electricity supply, but were not able to reach certain areas due to the closure of roads. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM MUHAMMAD SADAQAT IN ABBOTTABAD)

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2012.