RAWALPINDI, Oct 15: Winter made its presence felt in the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad on Monday as mercury fell to 19 Celsius in the morning following a light rain in the early hours on Sunday.

According to Meteorological Department, a westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country that could persist till Wednesday resulting in light rain in several parts of the country.

The cloudy weather and chilly winds have also forced shopkeepers to display winter clothes in commercial markets indicating the onset of the cold season.

Vendors are offering hot soup, groundnuts, dry fruits, etc., while shop owners offering clearance sale on clothes of summer while several famous outlets have already managed to put new arrivals of winter outfits on display.

“I like winter as it is season of fashion and enjoyment. In Pakistan, winter is a blessing when compared with hot summer coupled with prolonged load shedding,” Ehsan, 30, told Dawn in Jinnah Super.

According to Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the consumption of water has witnessed a drastic decrease in Rawalpindi as people skip to take shower in the morning due to the plummeting temperature.

“There is no complaint of water shortage in any part of the city while all the tankers of Wasa have been parked idly due to no demand from the consumers,” Umar Farooq, spokesman Wasa said.

“I welcome winter warmly as we have suffered a lot in the hot and humid summer when there was no electricity. I love the cold weather and I wish it lasts for a long time,” Hadiqa, 34, who works in an NGO, commented.

She said winter is a season of shopping, eating and traveling adding that the snowfall in Murree and nor.thern parts of the country was the sweetest part of winter in the country.

Stores that were offering UPS, rechargeable fans, air conditioners and other items of summer have replaced them with heaters, traditional grates (Angeeti) and things that keep people warm in the approaching cold season.