Dense fog on Thursday badly affected train schedules, delayed flight operations, and disrupted road traffic nationwide as most parts of country of late have been under the grip of chilly weather.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted more rain and snowfall for next week as a new weather system would enter the country from Friday.
The train schedule remained disturbed for another day on Thursday due to dense fog in the plains of Punjab. The Lahore bound Karachi Express from Karachi reached Lahore Railway station with a delay of five and a half hours, Pak Business Express from Karachi to Lahore was delayed by four hours and 50 minutes, while the Karakorum Express from Karachi to Lahore via Faisalabad was delayed by four and a half hours.
Moreover, the Peshawar bound Jaffar Express from Quetta reached with a delay of four hours, Shah Hussain Express by four hours, Tezgam 3 hours and 45 minutes, and Sialkot bound Allama Iqbal Express from Karachi to Lahore by three hours and 20 minutes. The Farid Express running for Lahore was delayed by 2 hours and 50 minutes and the Pakistan Express between Karachi via Faisalabad and Rawalpindi by six hours and 20 minutes. Besides these trains, almost all the trains observed a delay in arrival while many departed late from their respective stations.
Likewise, the foggy weather disturbed flight schedules at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. According to a spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), several inbound and outbound flights were delayed as the visibility on the runway had reduced to 800 meters. International flights from Doha QR-621, Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA’s) flight from Toronto PK-789, PIA’s flight from Lahore to Istanbul PK-715 were also delayed due to low visibility.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an alert regarding incoming rain and snowfall as forecast by the PMD. All relevant authorities and agencies were told to exercise proactive measures to handle any emergencies. In this regard the NDMA has sent out letters to all provincial and district disaster management authorities to coordinate with concerned departments.
According to a PMD spokesman, a new weather system was likely to enter the upper and central parts of the country tomorrow (Friday). Under this system, more rain and thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills (with some heavy snowfall and hailstorms) could befall Islamabad, Murree, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, and Kasur from Friday evening to Monday morning.
Rain and thunderstorm were also expected in Dera Ismail Khan, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Bahawalnagar, Quetta, Ziarat, Barkhan, Pishin, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Nokkundi, Dalbandin and Noshki on Friday evening and Saturday.
Moderate to heavy snowfall could also likely hit isolated pockets in Murree, Galliyat, Nathiagali, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Neelum valley, Bagh, Haveli, and Rawalakot on Saturday and Sunday.
The inclement weather on Saturday and Sunday could potentially cause road closures in Murree, Galiyat, Nathiagali, Kaghan, Naran, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Neelum valley, Bagh and Haveli districts.
Moreover, the PMD has predicted that heavy falls could result in urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Sialkot during the weekend and the probability of landslides in at risk areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir could not be ignored.
