Dense fog, cold grips parts of country

Lahore: Apart from the upper parts of the country, many parts of Sindh are also suffering from severe cold with intense fog. The situation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is more disturbing.

According to the Meteorological Department, the weather will remain cloudy in most parts of the country during the next 24 hours, light rain and snow is expected at some places in Gilgit -Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the morning.

In the next two days, the plains will be in severe fog, the day temperature in Punjab will be lower than normal. The minimum temperature in the country during the last 24 hours has been -10 in Skardu, -6 in Gopis, Gilgit and Kalam -5, Astor and Srinagar -4, Rawalakot and Qalat recorded -3 degrees Celsius.

On the other hand, due to severe fog, Motorways-M2 to Chakri Interchange, M3 from Faizpur, M4 from Abdul Hakim to Pindi Bhattian Interchange, Faisalabad Interchange from Gojra Interchange and Toba Tek Singh to Shorkot, Motorwy-M5 from Rahim Yar Khan Toll Plaza to Rohri and Sher Shah to Och Sharif will remain closed for traffic.

The spokesman Motorway Police said that motorways are closed to ensure public safety and safe traveling. People should prefer to travel maximum in day hours and the best travel hours in fog season are from 10:00am to 6:00pm.

Syed Imran Ahmed added that the driver should use front and rear fog lights while driving, maintain proper distance from the next vehicle and avoid over-speeding, contact the helpline 130 for any information and assistance.

The severe fog also affected the flight schedule as many flights have been canceled. People in the coldest areas are facing additional problems due to energy crisis as the power load shedding has forced people to burn wood to keep their rooms warm.