LAHORE: Country remained in the grip of severe cold wave on Wednesday with experts predicting the prevailing harsh weather conditions to persist during the next couple of days.
Weather remained very cold and mostly cloudy in upper parts of the country. However, light rain with light snowfall over hills occurred at isolated places of Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
Biting cold forced the people to avoid unnecessarily coming out, decreasing traffic on otherwise busy arteries in major cities including Lahore. Frequent electricity outages and low gas pressure added to the woes of cold stricken people. Gas pressure was so low that women faced huge difficulties in cooking meals for their families.
Kalat and Quetta remained coldest places in the country where mercury dropped 13 degree Celsius below freezing point. Mercury dropped to -10 C in Rawalakot, -09 C in Kalam, Murree, Dalbandin and Parachinar, -08 C in Malamjabba and Skardu, -07 C in Nokkundi, -06 C in Gupis, Drosh, Astore and Zhob, and -05 C in Hunza.–Staff Reporter