No let-up in cold spell until month’s end

Islamabad: With the mercury hovering around freezing, the weathermen see no let-up in the current cold spell until the end of this month.According to officials of the Met Office, a fresh westerly wave is likely to enter the country's upper parts either on the night of January 31 or early February 1 promising rain and snowfall.They said the coming rainy spell would ease the cold wave in the country, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The officials said the current cold spell was caused by Siberian winds coupled with the recent rains and snowfall.They said the minimum temperature in Islamabad had been hovering around freezing for many days and would continue so for few more days.Meanwhile, very cold and dry weather was recorded in most parts of the country on Sunday. However, rain fell at scattered places of Makran, Kalat and Sukkur divisions and at isolated places of Quetta, Hyderabad and Karachi divisions.The Met Office forecast that mainly cold and dry weather was expected in most parts of the country on Monday, while foggy conditions would prevail in plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh during night and morning hours.Meanwhile, the cold wave continued to prevail in the City on Sunday while Met Office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours. Met officials said that continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country. They predicted that mainly cold and dry weather was expected in most parts of the country. Foggy conditions are likely in plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh during night and morning hours.Rainfall was recorded in several cities, including Lasbella, Khuzdar (5mm), Kalat (4), Panjgur (1), Quetta (trace), Jaccobabad, Dadu (3), Larkana (1), Karachi (Masroor 01, A/P Trace), Moenjodaro, Padidan and Sukkur (trace). Sunday’s lowest temperature was recorded at Skardu where the mercury dropped to -16°C while at Kalam it was -15°C, Astore -13°C, Bagrote -12°C, Gupis -10°C, Hunza -09°C, Malamjabba -08°C, Drosh -06°C, Rawalakot, Dir -05°C, Mirkhani, Parachinar, Kalat -04°C, Quetta, Kakul -03°C, Zhob, Gilgit, Chitral, Murree -02°C, Chillas and Garidupatta -01°C. In Lahore, minimum temperature was 3.7°C and maximum 18.3°C.

from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2sRD7ns