LAHORE – Parts of Pakistan including Lahore reeled under a severe cold wave on Friday with experts predicting the harsh weather conditions to persist during the next two days.

In Lahore, the mercury dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, making Friday the coldest day of this winter season.

Relative humidity during the morning was recorded at 100 per cent.

Skardu and Leh remained the coldest places in the country where mercury dropped 10 C below freezing.

Dense fog/smog p[revailed in the plains of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh.

Dense fog/smog forced the closure of Motorways and disrupted traffic on the National Highway and other inter and intra-city roads.

As per the synoptic situation, a shallow westerly wave prevails over western parts of Pakistan.

It is likely to move eastward during the next 24 hours and affect the upper parts of the country.

Under these conditions, mainly cold and dry weather is expected in Lahore and most parts of Pakistan on Friday evening/night, Saturday and Sunday.

Freezing and partly cloudy weather is likely in northern areas of the country and north Balochistan.

Light rain and snowfall are likely in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Frost is likely to occur in the Potohar region and Kashmir during morning hours.

Fog update for Pakistan

Dense fog/smog is likely to persist in Punjab (Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Okara, Kasur, Lahore, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Mangla, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Toba Tek Singh, Khanewal, Multan, Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Hafizabad, Bhakkar, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan and surroundings), plains of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh.

Fog update for Motorways

Dense fog/smog may force the closure of Motorways and disrupt traffic on other inter and intra-city roads including the National Highway.

Lahore’s minimum temperature will likely remain between 02-04 C on Saturday and Sunday.