Pakistan to experience fresh wave of cold, starting today

ISLAMABAD: A fresh wave of cold hit the upper parts of the country — including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Kasur, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir — following light rainfall, with numerous hilly locales experiencing snowfall as well.

Babusar Top, Nanga Parbat, and Batogah Top are experiencing snowfall intermittently.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted rainfall in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir starting today through Wednesday.

Murree and surrounding areas, including Galiyat, are set to experience the season's first snowfall today.

New rain spell

On the other hand, the Met Office said Sunday it expects rainfall in various areas of the country.

Northeastern parts of Balochistan, Upper Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir were forecasted to experience light-to-moderate rain until Wednesday. 

Influx of tourists

Muhammad Luqman — the owner of a hotel on the Mall Road — said there was a likelihood of tourists thronging Murree, which is an hour’s drive away from Islamabad, next week, to enjoy snowfall. He added that the hotels had reported a surge in bookings, especially for the weekend.

Zaman Ahmad — another hotelier — also reported higher bookings in hotels located on Pindi Point, Kashmir Point, the Mall Road, and Ayubia.

He said the hill station attracted crowds of visitors whenever there's snowfall. The hotel owner said most of the visitors belonged to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other plain areas.