Extreme cold weather emergency imposed in KP province

PESHAWAR: Provincial authorities have imposed an extreme cold weather emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province as the temperature has hit a freezing level in parts of the province, ARY NEWS reported on Sunday.

According to the relief department of the KP, an extreme cold weather emergency has been declared in the province, under which food and shelter would be provided to the homeless people.

The concerned deputy commissioners have been directed to provide food and shelter to homeless people, under which a total of Rs 500 would be provided to these people that included Rs 100 for breakfast and Rs 200 each for lunch and dinner.

The cold wave has gripped the country from Kashmir to Karachi besides temperature going down below freezing point in northern Balochistan areas.

The temperature was recorded at -5 in Quetta, where water has frozen in pipelines and ponds. Ziarat and Kalat have also recorded below freezing temperatures at -8 and -7 respectively.

The snow has spread like a sheet over Landi Kotal area in Khyber and Orakzai besides heavy snowfall covering mountainous ranges in Gilgit Baltistan region.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has also predicted a new spell of cold weather in Karachi from Monday, which could break the seven-year-record of the lowest temperature in the city.

According to the Met Office, a new system of rainfall has entered North Balochistan areas which will lead to rain and snowfall in these areas from Monday. “Quetta, Zhob, Ziarat and Barkhan areas will witness downpour while snowfall will also be recorded in mountainous regions,” the PMD  said.

The chilling Quetta winds will move towards Karachi from Monday, breaking a seven-year-old record of the lowest temperature in the city. “These winds will continue to hit Karachi until Wednesday, lowering the city’s temperature to a single digit,” it said.