PMD issues rain alert for Islamabad, Pothohar region

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a rain and thunderstorm alert for Islamabad and the Pothohar region starting Monday night (March 9) and continuing through Wednesday (March 11) as a westerly weather system approaches.

Rain and thunderstorms are likely to affect Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Pothohar, Murree, and the Galiyat region from Monday night until Wednesday. The period will experience isolated hailstorms at some locations throughout Islamabad and its neighboring hill areas.

The weather system will create overcast conditions, which will produce light to moderate rain together with strong winds that will decrease daytime temperatures by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius in the areas that it affects.

Global weather services predict that Islamabad will experience cloudy conditions throughout the night, which will include intermittent rain until the morning hours.

The daytime hours will experience mostly cloudy conditions, which will bring a decreased possibility of precipitation. Rain and gusty winds, along with thunderstorms, will affect travel operations and outdoor recreation activities throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit‑Baltistan, and Kashmir.

The PMD issues a warning about possible landslides, which will impact hazardous areas in mountain regions, while recommending that tourists and travelers take necessary safety measures.

Winds that originate from Iran will raise pollution levels in western regions, which will affect sensitive populations during the next few days.

The upper regions and Islamabad experience unstable conditions because a westerly wave approaches, which brings rain and thunderstorms, while most of Pakistan remains in dry weather.