Autumn rains: Season's first strong westerly hits upper Pakistan
Pakistan
Scattered thunderstorm with hail reported, snowfall on higher elevations
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The first strong westerly of the autumn season brought scattered thunderstorms with hail in north-western and upper parts of Pakistan, causing a substantial drop in temperature with snowfall over higher elevations.
The weather system started affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan late on Friday which later spread to Kashmir and upper Punjab as the Met Office has predicted that the system will remain over the region till Oct 17 (Tuesday).
Khyber, Peshawar and the surrounding areas were the first to receive thunderstorm and hailstorm followed by Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra and other parts in the north of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as North Waziristan, Kohat and Karak in the south of the province.
The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Mangla, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Sialkot and Narowal too were hit by scattered thunderstorm with isolated fall of hail on Saturday.
Meanwhile, snowfall was reported from Neelum Valley in Kashmir where snow covered mountains. Snowfall on higher elevations during the month of Oct is a common phenomenon.
According to an advisory issued by the Met Office, moderate to heavy rainfall may increase water flows in local streams and trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Saturday to Tuesday.
Latest satellite images show that there is a thick cloud cover over upper Punjab, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir with the region expected to receive more rain/thundershower/hailstorm in the coming hours.
