Met office rejects ‘worst cold of century’ claims as fake

ISLAMABAD: The Meteorological Department has strongly denied the news circulating on social media regarding the worst cold of the century and unusual snowfall in the country, calling it baseless.

DG Meteorological Department Sahibzad Khan says that all the news spread on social media is fabricated and contrary to facts. He clarified that the weather will remain normal across the country in the coming days and no such unusual or record-breaking cold is expected.

According to the DG Meteorological Department, the current weather situation is consistent with normal winters and the public should trust only the weather forecasts issued by official and authentic sources instead of listening to rumors.

The Meteorological Department has appealed to the public to refrain from spreading unverified information on social media so that unnecessary fear and panic are not created.

It should be noted that a news is rapidly going viral on social media in which it is being claimed that the worst cold in the last 100 years is going to hit the country from January 16 to 25.

It has been claimed that snowfall is being predicted in urban areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, where the minimum temperature may drop to minus 5 degrees Celsius. Experts say that such a situation was last seen in January 1964.

In Lahore, weather models are also indicating snowfall of up to 5 inches, while the minimum temperature may go down to minus 4 degrees Celsius. This will be an unusual situation that may be repeated after the 19th century.

Murree and Galiyat are expected to receive 2 to 4 feet of snowfall, while Dir is likely to receive 1 to 2 feet of snow and the temperature may drop to minus 15 degrees, which could break past records. Heavy snowfall and slippage have also been forecast in areas of Azad Kashmir and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Muzaffarabad and Abbottabad.

Most parts of Balochistan are likely to experience extremely cold weather and icy winds blowing at a speed of 60 to 100 kilometers per hour from January 21 to 25. The temperature in Quetta is predicted to drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius while in Ziarat it is predicted to drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Experts have also warned of the risk of frostbite.