LAHORE – Blanketed by fog, parts of Pakistan including Lahore remained in the grip of a cold wave on Monday with experts predicting the prevailing harsh weather conditions to persist during the next two days.

Leh remained the coldest place in the country where mercury dropped 10 degrees Celsius below freezing.

The minimum temperature in Lahore was recorded at 08 C.

Relative humidity in the evening was recorded at 87 per cent.

Lahore and some other plains hardly saw any sunshine as the fog started falling before lifting off the existing mass.

Incessant fog and biting cold disturbed routine life in the plains. Less visibility disrupted road, rail and air traffic.

Fog update for Motorways

Dense fog/smog forced the closure of Motorways (Peshawar-Swabi, Swabi-Islamabad, Islamabad-Kallar Kahar, Kallar Kahar-Pindi Bhattian, Pindi Bhattian-Lahore, Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad, Lahore-Abdul Hakim, Sialkot-Lahore, Faisalabad-Multan and Multan-Sukkur), diverting traffic to alternative routes including National Highway.
Less visibility also affected normal traffic flow on other inter and intra-city roads including the National Highway.
It also disturbed the normal schedule of domestic and international flights and passenger trains.

As per the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), continental air prevails over most parts of the country.
Under these conditions, mainly cold and dry weather is expected in Lahore and most parts of Pakistan on Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Freezing weather is expected in northern parts of the country and north Balochistan.

In Lahore, the minimum temperature will likely remain between 07-09 C on Tuesday and 08-10 C on Wednesday.
Fog/smog is likely to prevail in the plains of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh.

Fog update for Punjab

Dense fog/smog is likely to persist in 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 surrounding during morning and night hours.
Dense fog/smog may force the closure of Motorways besides disturbing normal vehicular movement on the National Highway.