A bone-chilling cold wave continues to grip the country, while dense fog blankets Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), forcing the closure of multiple sections of the national highways and motorways.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, temperatures in Skardu dropped to minus 14 degrees Celsius, while the mercury fell to minus 13 degrees Celsius in the Leepa Valley of Azad Kashmir and minus 11 degrees Celsius in Astore.
Rain and snowfall expectations
The Met Office has forecast light rain and snowfall today in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and adjoining regions.
Punjab remains enveloped in heavy fog, prompting the suspension of traffic on several major motorways.
Motorways closed
Motorway M-2 has been closed from Thokar Niaz Baig to Kot Momin, M-3 from Faizpur to Rajana, while M-4 is blocked from Sher Shah to Faisalabad.
The Lahore-Sialkot motorway (M-11) has also been shut.
Traffic remains suspended from Lahore to Kot Momin on M-2, from Faizpur to Rajana on M-3, and from Faisalabad to Multan on M-4, while M-5 from Multan to Rohri and M-11 from Lahore to Sambrial have likewise been closed due to thick fog.
Fog disrupts travelling on national highways
Fog also continues to dominate the national highway in Lahore, Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal, Iqbal Nagar and several other cities, severely disrupting traffic flow.
National Highways and Motorways officials have advised citizens to travel during daylight hours, identifying 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as the safest window amid low visibility, and urged all motorists to use fog lights.
Islamabad experiences 1 degree temperature
In Islamabad, cold weather persisted as temperatures dropped to 1 degree Celsius.
The Met Office reported partly cloudy conditions today with winds blowing at 6 kilometres per hour and no expectation of rain over the next 24 hours.
Daytime temperatures in the capital are likely to rise to 15 degrees Celsius, while humidity levels have exceeded 40 percent.
Unusual cold morning in Karachi
Karachi experienced an unusually cold morning with temperatures dipping to 8 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature today is expected to reach 26 degrees Celsius, with north-easterly winds blowing at 7 kilometres per hour and humidity recorded at 44 percent.
The city’s air quality remains hazardous, ranking as the 12th most polluted city in the world, with particulate matter levels measured at 152 micrograms per cubic metre.
Zero visibility in Sindh areas
In Sindh, dense fog continues to engulf Obaro and the surrounding areas, reducing visibility to near zero.
Motorway M-5 has been closed from Guddu Interchange to Zahirpir due to the fog.
Several areas have also experienced power outages as feeder lines tripped under the extreme weather.
Daily life has been badly disrupted, and residents are facing severe difficulties.
Fog takes two lives in Khairpur
A deadly fog-related accident occurred in Khairpur, where two young men were killed, and another was injured after a trailer crushed a motorcycle on the Naro-Dhoro Link Road. Over the past 24 hours, fog-induced accidents in Khairpur have claimed five lives and left 10 others injured.
Power supply suspended in Southern Punjab
In Lodhran city and its outskirts, dense fog has persisted since late last night.
Power supply to some areas was suspended after multiple feeders tripped. With visibility reduced to only a few metres, traffic movement has slowed significantly.
Motorway Central Police Officer Ehsan Elahi has urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel.
In Qaboola Sharif and nearby localities, the cold wave and thick fog have prevailed for the past five days, drastically reducing visibility and disrupting movement on major highways.
