LAHORE: Punjab and adjoining areas experienced heavy rains and hail on Tuesday.

The highest rainfall was in Faisalabad at 48mm and lowest in Sahiwal at 1mm. This was recorded earlier in the day. Later on, the rainfall increased with Gujrat 80mm (highest) and Skardu and Chillas 02 mm (lowest).

Snowfall was recorded in Malam Jabba, Murree, Astore, Kalam and Skardu.

Tuesday’s lowest minimum temperatures were recorded as Gupis -11 degrees Celsius.

In Kashmir, the highest rainfall recorded was in Kotli 33mm and Garhi Dopatta 13mm.

The rains are expected to stay till Wednesday morning.

The Met Office has informed a strong westerly wave is likely to grip the upper parts of the country and snowfall over the hills is expected in Kashmir.

Rain with snowfall over the hills is also expected in Gilgit-Baltistan, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Kohat and Kurum. Rain is also expected in Mianwali, Khushab, Jhang, Sahiwal, Okara, TT Singh, Faisalabad and Sargodha.

An earlier statement by the Met Department revealed that moist currents from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal have reached the northeastern parts of the country.

On Tuesday, rain and thunderstorm (with snowfall over hills and a little hailstorm) came through in Islamabad, upper/central Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Isolated heavy falls were persistent in north eastern Punjab, Potohar region and Kashmir. Snowfall is also expected in Murree and Galiyat. Because of the rain, a dense fog may ensue in south Punjab and upper Sindh. Cold and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country. During the month of January, below normal precipitation is likely to occur and average surface temperatures are likely to remain below normal in most parts of the country during January. One to two rainfall spells are likely to occur in the central and upper parts of the country during the month of January 2021.

FARMER ADVISORIES: Farmers, depending on the weather conditions, should ensure irrigation of their crop when the bushes are formed and use the remaining installment of nitrogen fertilizers.

For mangoes and sugar cane, the department has said the weather is favorable for the transplantation of large plants.

Published in Dawn, Jannuary 6th, 2021