Normal life in Pakistan is rendered nearly impossible by the dense fog.
Several regions around the country are experiencing an intensification of the cold wave.
ISLAMABAD, LAHORE, AND KARACHI: Pakistan is experiencing a severe cold wave as the country’s widespread fog has grown worse. Regular daily activities have ceased due to the thick fog that has engulfed parts of the nation.
The majority of the country will continue to experience dry, cold weather, according to the Met Office. It further stated that extremely cold weather would continue to strike the country’s northern regions as well as the upper half of Balochistan.
In Punjab’s plains, there was dense fog. Upper regions of Sindh and the plains of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are predicted to have similar weather. Skardu recorded a temperature of -14°C, Ziarat of -10°C, Kalat of -9°C, Kalam of -8°C, Astore and Gupis of -7°C, Quetta and Gilgit of -6°C, Hunza of -5°C, and Chitral and Dir of -4°C.
The temperature dropped to 0C in Peshawar, 1C in Lahore, and 6C in the federal capital. According to the Met Office, Islamabad’s weather would continue to be partly cloudy, and there was a probability of morning dense fog.
Several districts in K-P would continue to experience low temperatures, and there was a potential that Peshawar, Rashakai, Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshehra, and Dera Ismail Khan might experience fog.
Jhelum, Lahore, Gujranwala, Narowal, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh, Okara, Sahiwal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Dera Ghazi Khan are all anticipated to see fog in Punjab.
In Balochistan, Quetta, Ziarat, Zhob, Chaman, and the places around, light precipitation or snowfall is predicted.
As the nation’s international airports were enveloped in dense fog, flight operations continued to be hampered. A plan for flight diversions has been released by the Islamabad International Airport administration.
The Islamabad airport will currently conduct 33 flights, according to airport officials. In addition to the scheduled flights, there are 16 departure flights and 17 arrival flights that were diverted.
There have been 4 departure flights so far, each carrying 29 crew members and 607 passengers. Three diverted flights also touched down in the nation, carrying 650 passengers and 29 crew members to Islamabad.
Additionally, 650 passengers travelling to Islamabad by bus have departed for Lahore. Flights from Baku, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul were denied permission to land at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and diverted to Islamabad.
Prior to noon, all PIA flights from Lahore will henceforth depart from Islamabad. Muscat, Jeddah, Dubai, and Riyadh flights have also been relocated to Islamabad. From the federal capital, flights PK-759 to Jeddah, PK-203 to Dubai, PK-725 to Riyadh, and PK-229 to Muscat will now take off.
At the airport in Islamabad, the visibility is 3,200 metres. At the airports at Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad, it is, however, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 metres, respectively.
