LAHORE - Like other parts of the country, the Punjab capital also received much-awaited rainfall yesterday.
Since the government has started digging for Orange Line project in Punjab capital, rain made the city even more muddy and sludgy. Moreover, electricity breakdown and accumulation of water in low lying areas added to public woes.
The much-anticipated rain, however, is likely to give relief to people affected by the dry cold-related diseases. The experts have forecast more rain with intervals during the next 24 hours.
Widespread rain (with snowfall over the hills) occurred in Quetta division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and at scattered places in upper and central Punjab, Islamabad Kashmir, Zhob and Kalat divisions.
Dryness and biting cold persisting for the last fortnight was causing considerable rise in weather-related diseases.
Skin dryness and allergy, itching, common cold, pain in joints, respiratory tract infection, cough and flu, wheezy chest and high grade fever were quite common for the last couple of weeks. The rain, though not that heavy, washed away pollutants from the atmosphere.
In Lahore, the rains started Thursday night and continued intermittently till filing of this report. The inundated rainwater on portions of roads, roadsides and slippery conditions added to the woes and miseries of motorists and pedestrians.
Massive traffic jams were witnessed on a number of important arteries. The situation was worst on roads dug out for Metro Train.
Several incidents of skidding of motorcycles were also reported from various parts of the city.
Wet conditions caused frequent tripping of more than 50 feeders, plunging major portion of Lahore in darkness.
On Friday, maximum and minimum temperature in Lahore city was recorded 15 degree Celsius and 08C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 94 per cent.
Skardu remained the coldest place in the country where mercury dropped eight degrees below the freezing point. Minimum temperature in Parachinar was recorded -06C, Gupis -05C, Astore -04C, Gilgit -03C, Malamjabba and Kalat -02C, Kalam and Hunza -01C.
Quetta received 64mm rain, Dir 38mm, Balakot and Pattan 31mm each, Islamabad 23mm, Lahore and Kakul 22mm each, Kalam 20mm, Chitral and Parachinar 15mm each, Garhi Dupatta 14mm, Muzaffarabad and Malamjabba 13mm each, Murree and Saidu Sharif 12mm each, Lower Dir 11mm, Rawalpindi and Zhob 09mm each, Kotli and Kalat 08mm each, Faisalabad and Rawalakot 06mm each, Jhang, Kasur and Mirkhani 05mm each, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Sialkot and Cherat 03mm each, Toba Tek Singh, Layyah, Bannu and Drosh 02mm each and Gujranwala, Mangla, Sargodha and D I Khan 01mm each
Kalam received 08inch snowfall, Malamjabba 05 and Murree 02.
According to the experts, a trough of westerly wave is affecting upper and central parts of the country and likely to persist till Saturday (morning). The meteorological department forecast more rain with snowfall over the hills) at scattered in upper KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan divisions), Fata, Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
Cold and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country.