Raining on Qadri's parade: Met office predicts early morning Islamabad shower

New weather system to last till Friday evening with rain predicted for Islamabad and snowfall over the hills.

ISLAMABAD: The meteorological department has predicted that rain is expected in Islamabad early on Thursday morning.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD),another weather system has gripped most parts of the country on Wednesday and expected to last till Friday evening. Rain with snowfall is expected over the hills likely at scattered places of Upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, North Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday and Friday.

Tens of thousands of protesters part of Tahirul Qadri’s long march are camped out on Jinnah avenue in Islamabad for the past two days. Most of the people have pitched tents to spend the nights.

Under the influence of this weather system, scattered rains are expected in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, North Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the period.

Meanwhile widespread rain showers are expected over upper Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sahiwal divisions and Kashmir on Thursday and Friday.

Snowfall is also expected over the hills of Murree, Galliyat, Malakand, Hazara divisions Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

The lowest minimum temperatures recorded during the last 24 hours was at Skardu -10 degrees Celcius, Astore and Parachinar -9 degrees Celsius, Kalat and Gupis-8 degrees Celcius, Quetta -5 degrees Celcius, Kalam, Hunza, Gilgit and Dalbandin -4 degrees Celcius, Chitral and Rawalakot -3 degrees Celcius, Murree, Sibbi and Bunji -2 degrees Celcius.

Rainfall recorded over the past 24 hours was Malamjabba six mm and Chitral, Dir, Saidusharif one mm.

The snowfall recorded in Kalam was 0.5 inches.