LAHORE - Smog continued to grip plains of Punjab, including Lahore, on Saturday with experts predicting that prevailing conditions would persist over the next 2-3 days.

Smog is a mixture of various gases with water vapors and dust. It is hazy air that causes difficult breathing conditions. Besides causing serious health hazards, smog/dense fog disrupted road, air and rail traffic.

Plains hardly saw any sunshine as fog started falling in the evening before clearing of the existing mass. It became so dense at midnight that visibility reduced to zero in open areas.

Moderate to dense fog caused closure of portions of motorway besides hampering vehicular movement on inter and intra city routes, including the National Highway.

Closure of the motorway caused difficulties for motorists who were left with no option except to use alternative routes, including the National Highway.

Skardu remained the coldest place in the country where mercury dropped 3 degree Celsius below the freezing point. Maximum and minimum temperature in Lahore was recorded 27C and 15C, respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded at 76 per cent.

According to experts, continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country.

Local meteorological department has forecast mainly dry weather for most parts of the country, including Lahore, over the next 2-3 days.

Dense foggy/smoggy conditions are expected to prevail over plains of Punjab, including Lahore, during this period.

NNI adds: Citizens are also facing immense difficulties in travelling as dense smog on night between Friday and Saturday dropped visibility down to zero.

Medical experts have recommended sporting spectacles whilst in the open and a mask to keep smog and pollutants entering their system as locals are suffering from throat and eye infections due to the smog. Air pollution must not exceed 80 microgram per cubic meter as per standard measures but the same has exceeded 200 microgram per cubic meter in multiple areas of Lahore. Experts have warned against condensing of smog in days to come as farmers burn paddy straw in Punjab.