QUETTA: Most parts of Balochistan, including the capital Quetta, are under the grip of intensely cold weather with the mercury dropping to -11°C in Ziarat.
The extreme weather brought life to a standstill in many cities on Saturday as the water froze in pipelines and frost making highways and link roads slippery, resulting in traffic disruptions.
The minimum temperature recorded minus-08 in Kalat and minus-04 in provincial capital city Quetta this morning. The weather will remain cold and dry in Quetta today.
Also read: Cold wave to grip Karachi from Sunday, temperature may drop to 6°C
The minimum temperature recorded minus-04 in Zhob and minus-03 degree at Dalbandin, according to a weather report.
Quetta saw its coldest night of the season on Friday as the maximum temperature was recorded at -4°C.
As a result of the severe weather, the city appeared abandoned. Due to the cold, which is expected to last until January 25, the majority of stores and malls remained closed.
In addition, the weather caused water pipelines to rupture after water inside them froze.
In a recent wet spell Balochistan’s 17 cities received 445mm rain in aggregate within 24 hours, Pakistan’s Met Office said.
Pasni received maximum rainfall of 115mm in Balochistan during the wet spell, according to the figures released by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
A westerly wave affecting North Balochistan, may persist till 25th January with occasional gaps.
