LAHORE - Like other parts of the country, the City remained in the grip of cold wave on Saturday with experts predicting the prevailing conditions to persist during the next couple of days.
In addition to the cold, dense fog disturbed routine life by hampering vehicular movement on major city roads in the morning and late at night. Reduced visibility in the morning also disturbed schedule of flights and trains.
Dense fog in the morning and the resultant lesser period of sunshine caused the daytime temperature in Lahore to fall by 06 degree Celsius, ending up at 17 C on Saturday. Nighttime temperature, however, increased slightly and ended at 06 C. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 83 per cent.
Skardu remained the coldest place in the country where mercury dropped 12 C below the freezing point. Minimum temperature in Astore and Gupis was recorded -07 C, Quetta and Parachinar -06 C, Kalat and Hunza -05 C, Dir -04 C, Gilgit and Chitral -03 C, Kalam, Drosh and Dalbandin -02 C, Mirkhani, Rawalkot, Zhob and Risalpur -01 C.
According to the experts, continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country. A shallow westerly wave is also prevailing over extreme northern parts of the country, which is likely to move eastwards during next 24 hours.
The local meteorological department has forecast cold and dry weather for most parts of the country including Lahore during the next couple of days. However, cloudy weather with chances of light rain (light snow over the hills) is expected at isolated places in Malakand division and Gilgit-Baltistan. Dense foggy conditions will continue in plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh during night and morning hours.