PESHAWAR: Several mountainous areas received snowfall while rain lashed the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, making the weather colder and harsher.
Intermittent rain continued throughout the day in the provincial capital, adding chill to the weather. Power outages affected most areas, while an ongoing Sui gas shortage worsened citizens’ hardships.
The Hazara division received heavy snowfall, while rain in the plains pushed temperatures below freezing and triggered a severe cold wave across the region.
Snowfall began in the Siran, Konsh, and Kaghan valleys of Mansehra and the Spat and Kandia valleys of Kohistan, plunging the weather into extreme cold. Roads connecting villages and high-altitude areas remained blocked, including the Karakoram Highway and the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road, due to slippery conditions.
Rainfall in parts of Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas districts continued intermittently throughout the day.
“This is the most severe cold wave we have experienced this winter, breaking temperature records of the past decade,” said Mohammad Ayub, a local elder.
The Kaghan Valley and other high-altitude areas recorded temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius, resulting in an intense cold spell that also affected the plains.
Rescue 1122 personnel, along with ambulances, were placed on standby across Mansehra district to respond to emergencies. A press release in the evening warned visitors against undertaking any form of adventurism during the ongoing snowfall and rain.
“We have deployed our personnel and ambulances to Shogran, lower Kaghan Valley, and other disaster-prone areas to respond effectively to any emergency,” the statement said.
On the directives of District Emergency Officer Abrar Ali, all Rescue 1122 stations across the district have been put on high alert. Visitors were urged to avoid traveling to mountainous areas under the prevailing conditions.
If travel is unavoidable, it should only be undertaken in four-wheel-drive vehicles, with properly chained tires. In case of emergency, Rescue 1122 should be contacted immediately.
Snowfall and rain were also reported in the upper parts of Tirah Valley, where evacuation efforts are underway due to a likely operation. Swat, Upper Dir, and Chitral districts also received snowfall and rain, causing temperatures to drop significantly.
