PMD forecasts mostly dry weather, light rain and snow in north

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast predominantly dry weather across the country on Thursday. Light rain and snowfall over the mountains are expected at isolated places in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and northeastern Balochistan, according to The Nation.

Daily Times, reporting on the PMD's 24-hour forecast, said conditions will be mixed. Dry weather is expected over most central and southern plains, while high-altitude areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may see light rain and snow.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, localised rainfall is expected in the upper districts of Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan and Mansehra. Light scattered showers may also affect lower districts including Peshawar, Kohat, Kurram and Bajaur. Daily Times reported that overcast conditions will persist in Islamabad and the surrounding Potohar region, while the hill stations of Murree and Galliyat may see light drizzle.

Weather across Punjab is expected to remain mostly dry. Daily Times reported that calm winds over the plains are trapping morning fog and seasonal smog, and that provincial authorities have urged urban residents to take health precautions against poor air quality.

Sindh and Balochistan are expected to be mostly dry over the next 24 hours. Southern coastal districts of Sindh may see warm daytime temperatures and low humidity. In northern Balochistan, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Zhob and Kalat may get light isolated showers, with temperatures dropping on the upper plateaus afterwards.

Regional administrations in northern mountain districts are advising travellers to monitor road conditions closely, and local tourism departments have issued precautionary advisories for high-elevation routes, Daily Times reported.

Recorded temperatures included minus 4 degrees Celsius in Leh, 2 degrees in Skardu and a minimum of 12 degrees in Islamabad under partly cloudy skies. Daily Times said further temperature drops are expected in northern Gilgit-Baltistan as snowfall intensifies over the peaks, and noted that shifting seasonal winds mark the transition towards winter patterns.