Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, has been experiencing an intense cold spell over the past several days, with temperatures consistently dropping to 0°C. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), temperatures might even fall below this mark in the coming days.
The PMD predicts that Islamabad will witness very cold and dry conditions on Tuesday night. For Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the forecast indicates cold and cloudy weather in the capital and its surrounding areas. The current synoptic situation, as reported by the PMD, shows that continental air is dominating most parts of the country, while a shallow westerly wave is affecting the upper regions.
Nationally, the weather on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, remained predominantly cold and dry across most areas, with hilly regions experiencing very cold conditions. Looking ahead to Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the PMD forecasts mainly cold and dry weather for the majority of the country. However, hilly areas are expected to remain very cold and cloudy. Additionally, light rain or snowfall may occur at isolated locations in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan during the evening or night hours. Patchy shallow to moderate fog is also likely in parts of northeast and south Punjab, as well as upper Sindh, during the early morning hours.
Over the past 24 hours, cold and dry weather prevailed across most of the country, with hilly areas experiencing very cold and partly cloudy conditions. Shallow fog was observed at several locations in north and eastern Punjab during the morning hours.
The PMD has also recorded some of the lowest temperatures in the country. Leh experienced the lowest minimum temperature at -9°C, followed by Skardu, Gupis, and Bagrote at -7°C. Gilgit recorded -6°C, while Astore, Hunza, and Quetta registered -4°C. These figures highlight the severity of the ongoing cold wave affecting the country, particularly in its northern and hilly regions.