LAHORE: Parts of the country including Lahore received rainfall of varying intensities on Tuesday, disturbing routine life by causing urban flooding, power shutdowns, massive traffic jam and water shortage.
Rain-thunderstorm, with isolated heavy falls, occurred at a number of places in Gujranwala, Rawalpindi divisions, Islamabad and Kashmir and at isolated places in Lahore, Malakand, Hazara, Mardan, Zhob, Quetta and Karachi divisions.
Inundated rainwater on roads, roadsides and slippery conditions caused massive traffic jam in major cities including Lahore.
In Lahore, windstorm and rains caused tripping of more than 145 Lesco feeders. More than one dozen feeders could not be restored even till filing of this report.
Rains added to the woes and miseries of motorists and pedestrians. Massive traffic jam was witnessed on a number of important arteries. Localities close to the route of under construction Orange Line Metro Train, underpasses along Canal Bank Road, signal free corridor- Main Boulevard Gulberg and Jail Road, Nisbat Road, Davis Road, Nabha Road, portions of Johar Town, Westwood Colony, Ali Town, Sultan Town, Lakhshmi Chowk, Chowk Nakhuda, Harbanspura and Judicial Colony were amongst worst affected areas. Several incidents of skidding of motorcycles were also reported from various parts of the City.
Rains, patches of clouds and strong winds provided much needed respite to the people from prevailing muggy weather by causing considerable decrease in the mercury level during the day and at nighttime.
Maximum and minimum temperature in the City was recorded at 37 degree Celsius and 29C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 85 per cent.
According to the experts, seasonal low lies over north Balochistan. Monsoon currents are penetrating upper/central parts of the country and likely to continue during next few days.
The local meteorological department has forecast partly cloudy weather with chances of thunderstorm/rain for Lahore during the current week.
The Met office has forecast rain-thunderstorm with isolated heavy to very heavy falls at a number of places in upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad divisions), FATA, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir. Rain-thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls are expected at scattered places in southern Punjab (DG Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal divisions), Zhob, Kalat divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan. Light rain/drizzle is also expected at a few places along Sindh coast.
On Tuesday, Rawalakot received 98mm rain, Sialkot 65mm, Islamabad 64mm, Gujranwala 51mm, Risalpur 40mm, Lower Dir 36mm, Rawalpindi 34mm, Murree 31mm, Kotli 26mm, Muzaffarabad 24mm, Kakul 21mm, Lahore 18mm, Malamjabba 17mm,Garhi Dupatta 13mm, Balakot 11mm, Kamra 10mm, Gujrat 09mm, Zhob 06mm, Saidu Sharif 04mm, Karachi 03mm, Mangla and Jhelum 02mm each and Barkhan 01mm.
