ISLAMABAD: Most of the Potohar region, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, received a limited amount of rainfall on Monday, reducing temperatures in the twin cities.

Islamabad received 2mm of rain in the Zero Point area but saw lower temperatures due to 15mm rainfall and snow in Murree tehsil, where temperatures fell to -4°C.

The minimum temperature in Islamabad on the night between Sunday and Monday was 2°C, but with more rain and snowfall expected in many areas the Met Office has predicted that the temperature could drop to 0°C in the next few days.

On the other hand, the Met Office has issued warnings for heavy rain and snowfall in the northern districts of Balochistan.

The warning includes chances of flash flooding in nullahs and landslides in hilly areas.

The first rainy spell of the year will continue in the coming days, and the Met Office has predicted rain and snow in Quetta, Mastung, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Harnai and Pishin due to a new weather system.

The heaviest rainfall was recorded in Kalat on Sunday and Monday at 55 millmetres, followed by 52mm in Quetta, 35mm in Dalbandin and 26mm in Sibbi.

Up to two feet of snow has been predicted in the Quetta, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah and Pishin districts in the coming days.

Widespread rain also occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and isolated areas in upper Sindh, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The rain across central and southern Punjab dispersed fog on the motorways and highways.

Rain with snow over the hills is expected in scattered places in the Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Sialkot, Lahore, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahimyar Khan districts up to Wednesday.

The highest rainfall in KP was recorded at 26mm in Parachinar, followed by 25mm in Malam Jabba and 13mm in Saidu Sharif. In Punjab, Bahawalpur received 22mm of rain.

Malam Jabba also received 10 inches of snowfall, followed by five inches in Parachinar and Kalam. The lowest temperatures recorded were -13°C in Skardu, -9°C in Astore, -8°C in Kalam and -5°C in Rawalakot.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2020