ISLAMABAD, Dec 10 (APP):The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast cold and dry weather conditions across most parts of the country for Thursday, with hilly regions expected to experience particularly severe cold during morning and night hours.
Dense smog is likely to persist over plain areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and upper Sindh, raising concerns about air quality and visibility.
Fog patches are expected to develop during morning and night hours, potentially disrupting road and air traffic.
The major cities including Lahore, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Sukkur, and Larkana are among those likely to be affected by reduced visibility conditions.
The PMD has issued frost warnings for several regions, including Islamabad, the Pothohar region, Kashmir, and isolated plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The farmers and residents in these areas are advised to take precautionary measures to protect crops and vulnerable populations during morning hours when frost is most likely to occur.
The past 24 hours saw extremely cold conditions in northern mountainous regions, with Leh and Skardu recording the lowest temperatures at -6 C.
Kalat recorded -5 C, while Gupis, Bagrote, and Gilgit experienced -4 C. Weather remained cold and dry over most parts of the country, while smog and fog patches continued to affect plain areas.
Balochistan is expected to see cold and partly cloudy weather, with northern districts facing very cold conditions during morning and night hours. Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will experience cold and partly cloudy weather, becoming very cold during morning and night hours, with frost likely in Kashmir.
Sindh will remain mostly dry with cold conditions expected during morning and night hours.
The authorities advise residents to take necessary precautions, particularly vulnerable groups including children and the elderly, and to exercise caution while traveling in fog-affected areas.
The motorists are urged to use fog lights and maintain safe distances on highways and motorways where visibility may be severely reduced.