A thick veil of fog blanketed parts of Punjab and Sindh on Wednesday night, paralyzing daily life and creating chaos on major highways. The Motorway Police reported widespread disruptions, with several motorway sections, including M5 from Rahim Yar Khan to Rohri and M11 from Lahore to Sialkot, shut down due to near-zero visibility.
Motorists were directed to use the Grand Trunk Road as an alternative route, with authorities urging caution. “Drivers should ensure the use of fog lights, reduce speed, and avoid non-essential travel,” a Motorway Police spokesperson advised. The closure of highways also impacted traffic on national roads, compounding mobility challenges for commuters.
Meanwhile, a cold wave has gripped the country, exacerbated by snowfall and rain in northern areas and parts of Balochistan. Cities like Quetta, Chaman, Ziarat, and Pishin saw intermittent snow, deepening the chill. Northern regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, endured freezing temperatures, with Leh recording a bone-chilling -12°C and Skardu following closely at -10°C.
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The extreme cold stretched further to Gupis (-9°C), Astore (-7°C), and Kalam, Hunza, and Gilgit (-5°C). Parachinar, Ziarat, and Kalat also recorded lows of -4°C. These plummeting temperatures disrupted normal life and raised concerns about the safety and accessibility of affected areas.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts continued cold and dry weather for most of the country, with hilly regions remaining bitterly cold. Patches of dense fog are expected to persist during the early morning and nighttime hours across Punjab, upper Sindh, and the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Light rain or snowfall may offer brief reprieve in isolated parts of Kashmir and its surrounding hilly areas.
The adverse conditions serve as a stark reminder of the country’s vulnerability to seasonal weather extremes, leaving residents bracing for a prolonged spell of cold and disruption.
