Seasonal downpour: Snow, hail, rain, lash K-P, Punjab

Ten dead, 40 injured in rain-related incidents across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

PESHAWAR: At least ten people have lost their lives and 40 sustained injuries across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the last 24 hours in rain-related incidents.

Three women died in Mattani, Peshawar after they were buried under a collapsed roof.  In Chitral, a man was hit by a boulder and succumbed to his injuries. In more incidents of roof collapses, a man died in Mohmand Agency while two minors were killed in Khyber Agency.



Officials at Mohmand told The Express Tribune that due to slippery roads two passenger coaches collided in the Gandab area, killing one woman and critically injuring 25 others. Infrastructure in the region also took a heavy knock as River Kurram washed away Asad Durrani Bridge in Bannu district.

Meanwhile, Peshawar’s district administration set up a control room after the meteorological department warned thunderstorms are expected to lash parts of the province on Thursday as well.

According to Met office, weather turned cold again after a strong weather system entered Pakistan through Balochistan on Sunday.

Experts have predicted that there will be widespread thunder and rainstorm with snowfall over the hills on Thursday in Islamabad and upper and central Punjab including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions. Rain is also expected at scattered places in South Punjab – including DG Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions.

Lahore did not receive any rain on Wednesday. However, it rained at scattered places in Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).

Faisalabad, whose skies have been overcast for the last three days, received intermittent shower on Wednesday which lowered temperature to 16 degree Celsius.

Impact on agriculture

Talking to The Express Tribune, a renowned agriculture expert Dr Noorul Islam said the recent rain spells will have salutary effect on the crops especially in the arid areas as well as irrigated district where water is always in dire need due to long closure of canals for annual maintenance work.

Islam said this rain would be beneficial for standing crops of wheat, barseem and fodder etc.

He said rain will not only increase per acre yield but will also enhance the overall wheat output in the country and it is expected that Pakistan will get record wheat crop this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2015.