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.
Abundance of sunshine during the day and continuously blowing cold breeze increased difference between the maximum and minimum temperature.
Weather remained cold and dry in most parts of the country. However, light rain (light snowfall over the hills) occurred at isolated places of Hazara division and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Scattered rains in upper parts of the country, snowfall over the hills and cold breeze continued the hardship of people with frequent outages and low gas pressure further adding to their woes.
Harsh weather conditions forced the people to stay indoors on a holiday wrapped in woolies and blankets to keep their bodies warm. Excessive usage of heaters at home led to low gas pressure in major cities including Lahore. In certain areas, women faced huge difficulties in cooking meals for their families.
Though with less intensity, fog revisited plains, decreasing visibility from midnight to early morning. The Police have advised motorists to use fog lights and heaters, keep wipers in working conditions and drive at slow speed from midnight to early morning.
Parachinar remained coldest place in the country where mercury dropped 10 degree Celsius below freezing point.
Maximum and minimum temperature in the City was recorded 20 C and 04 C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 36 per cent.
According to the experts, a continental air is prevailing over most parts of country.
Local meteorological department has forecast mainly cold (severe cold in upper parts) and dry weather for most parts of the country during the next couple of days. However, morning frost is expected at scattered places of upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions) and Peshawar division.