Heavy snowfall masks Murree, Margalla hills in Pakistan
Pakistan Times National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: There was let up in chilly weather in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as cold winds forced the people to remain indoors on Saturday. Margalla Hills, overlooking Islamabad, had the second snowfall of the season.

According to the Met Office one foot of snow fell on Margallas. The snowy hills could be seen clearly from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, when the cloud cover lifted briefly in the afternoon. The steady rain kept falling overnight in Islamabad till Saturday morning.

The Met Office said that the total rainfall recorded in Islamabad was 26 millimeter while Rawalpindi had 24 millimeters of rain.

"The chilly weather in the twin cities is due to the winds coming from Margalla hills," a Met Office spokesman said. He said the intensity of cold weather will gradually subside after 24 hours.

Murree continued to be in the grip of severe cold weather as it again received more than a foot of snow, further compounding the miseries of the residents of the hill station.

People have virtually been confined to their homes as the minimum temperature dropped to minus six degree centigrade and the maximum to minus two. Weather experts forecast more snow during the next 24 hours.

According to the latest figures released by the Met Office, Murree has so far recorded 16.5 feet of snow which is record since 1976 when the town and Galliat received 14 feet of snow.

Reports from Murree and Galliat say that there is shortage of fuel and edibles in the area and many people have died after not getting medical aid.

"The roads have been blocked by heavy snow and it is very difficult to shift the patients to Murree for medical treatment," a resident of Murree told 'Pakistan Times'.

The Met Office said that almost the whole country is in the grip of cold wave and the worst affected is Balochistan.

Minimum temperature was also recorded in Kalat (Balochistan), where the mercury plunged to minus 11 degrees. While the minimum temperature in the provincial capital, Quetta, was recorded at minus nine degrees.●