Federal Minister for Aviation, Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khan inaugurated modern media center at a ceremony in the Regional Meteorological Department, Lahore today. Weather information in local languages Punjabi and Seraiki will be made public from there. On the directives of the Federal Minister, the Meteorological Department has also launched specific telephone 1315. Through toll-free telephone 1315, the public will be kept informed about the latest weather update in Pakistan.

At the behest of the Prime Minister’s vision and the Federal Minister, the Pakistan Meteorological Department is being modernized and functioning so that the people and the farmers in particular will be kept informed about the changing seasons and changing climate. Director General (PMD) Muhammad Riaz, Chief Met. Dr. Hanif and Sahibzad said that the Meteorological Department has begun the process of spreading the latest weather information to the public through Website, Mobile application and YouTube channel in the form of audio and video forecast on daily basis.

Met Office informed that another strong westerly weather system is likely to enter western parts of Balochistan on Friday (night) and likely to grip most parts of the country on Sunday. Under the influence of this weather system:

• Widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in Balochistan on Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rainfall is expected in Gwadar, Kech, Panjgur, Chagai, Quetta, Mastung and Kalat districts during the period.
• Widespread rain (with few moderate to isolated heavy falls) with snowfall over the hills is expected in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Saturday (night) to Monday.
• Rain is also expected in all districts of Sindh during Saturday(night) and Sunday.



Note: Heavy falls may generate flash flooding in Turbat, Kech, Panjgur, Kalat Quetta and Zhob on Saturday & Sunday. Heavy snowfall is also expected in districts of Quetta, Harnai, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah and Pishin during the period.

Heavy snowfall is also expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Neelam valley, Bagh and Haveli districts from Sunday to Monday. Murree & Galiayat, may also receive heavy snowfall during the period. Possibility of landslides cannot be ruled out in districts of Malakand, Hazara, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the period.

All concerned authorities are advised to take precautionary measures during the forecast period.

Met office predicted rain/snowfall in northern parts of Balochistan (Quetta, Mastung, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Harnai and Pashin) on Sunday and Monday. Heavy snowfall, average 02 feet, in (Quetta, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah and Pashin districts) may disrupt normal life and transportations in these areas. Heavy rain may generate flash flooding in local nullahs of (Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Harnai, Chaghi, Sibbi, Mastung and Bolan districts) during the period.

Met Office informed that a shallow westerly wave is presently affecting upper parts of the country and may persist in northern parts till Saturday. Followed by another strong rain/snowfall bearing weather system from Sunday to Wednesday. Under the influence of these weather systems following weather is expected:

Thursday to Saturday

• Scattered rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in North Balochistan (Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Pashin, Lora Lai, Kholo, Barkhan, Ziarat districts), Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Haripur and Abbottabad districts), during Thursday (Evening) to Friday. Light rain is also expected at isolated places in Attock, Rawalpindi districts, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the period. Light rain with snowfall over the hills is also expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Mahnsera and Kohistan districts on Saturday. Snowfall is also expected in Murree and Galliyat during the period.

Sunday to Tuesday

• Widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in Balochistan during Sunday and Monday.
• Widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Sunday (night) to Tuesday (Night).
• Rain is also expected in districts of Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur on Monday. Light rain is also expected in districts of Karachi on Monday (Night).

Note: Moderate to heavy falls may generate flash flooding in Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Lora Lai, Kholo, Zhob and hill torrents of D.G. Khan during Sunday (night) & Monday. Moderate to heavy snowfall is also expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Neelam valley, Bagh and Haveli districts during Monday to Tuesday. Murree, Galliayat may also receive moderate to heavy snowfall during the period. Foggy conditions are likely to subside during the wet spell.

All concerned authorities are advised to take precautionary measures during the forecast period.

• Met. Office has predicted that foggy conditions in plain areas of the country are likely to persist during the coming days (including weekends and the next week). Particularly parts of Punjab (Lahore, Gujranawala, Sargodha, Sialkot, T.T Singh, Hafizabad, Jhang, Faisalabad, Okara, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar) and upper Sindh are going to remain in the grip of dense to moderate fog during morning and night.
• Day temperatures of plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh are also likely to remain below normal. (02-04°C).
• Frost is likely to be observed in the Pothohar region in coming days.

Met. Office has predicted that rain/thunderstorm is expected in Rawalpindi/Islamabad on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. Due to rainy spell, match can be disrupted for most of the day on Thursday, while partial disruption is also likely on Friday and Saturday.

A westerly wave located over Iran and its adjoining areas, is likely to approach western parts of the country on Wednesday and is expected to grip most parts of the country on Thursday. Under the influence of this weather system

• Scattered rain-thunderstorm with snowfall over hills is expected in upper districts of Balochistan during Wednesday and Thursday. Light to moderate rain-thunderstorm is also expected in Sindh (Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Karachi) from Wednesday (night) to Thursday.
• Widespread rain-thunderstorm (with snowfall over hills) is expected in most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad from Wednesday (night) to Friday. Isolated heavy falls are also expected in districts of Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal and Islamabad on Thursday.
• Widespread rain with snowfall over the hills is also expected in Kashmir, while at scattered places in Gilgit Baltistan from Wednesday to Friday.
• Fog is likely to subside in plain areas of the country.

A westerly wave is present in Eastern Iran and likely to enter in Pakistan from Wednesday (evening) and is expected to grip Upper and Central parts of Pakistan on Thursday. Under the influence of this weather system:

• Widespread rain/wind-thunderstorm is expected in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir from Wednesday (night) to Friday
• Scattered rain/thunderstorm is expected in upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore divisions), Islamabad and Gilgit Baltistan during Thursday and Friday. Isolated light rain-thunderstorm may also occur at a few places in south Punjab.
• Isolated heavy falls is also expected in Quetta, Zhob, Makran, Kalat, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbotabad, Haripur, Mardan, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir from Thursday (evening/night) to Friday. Snowfall is also expected over the mountains during the period.

Met Office informed that a slow moving deep westerly wave is present along northwest Balochistan and likely to affect most central and southern parts of the country during Wednesday to Saturday. Under the influence of this weather system:

• Scattered rain/wind- thunderstorm (with isolated showers) is expected in most districts of Sindh and Balochistan (Quetta, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Barkhan, Zhob, Kalat, Naseerabad, Sibbi, Lasbella, Khuzdar and Makran districts) during Thursday to Saturday.
• Scattered rain/wind-thunderstorm is expected in Southern Punjab, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir during Thursday (night) to Saturday (morning).
• Isolated rain-thunderstorm is also expected in Islamabad, Upper Punjab, Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Thursday (night) to Saturday (morning).
• Isolated dust storm/hailstorm may occur during the period and also snowfall over the mountains.

Met Office informed that a strong westerly wave is likely to approach western parts of the country on Tuesday and likely to grip upper and central parts of the country from Tuesday night. Under the influence of this weather system

• Widespread rain/wind- thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at all districts of Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and at scattered places in Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (D.I Khan, Laki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Tank, Kurram, Kohat and Waziristan) from Tuesday (Night) to Friday.
• Rain/wind-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is also expected at scattered places in districts of northwest Baluchistan (Quetta, Pishin and Zhob) on Tuesday.
• Scattered rain/wind-thunderstorm is also expected at districts of upper/central Punjab on Wednesday and Thursday.
• Isolated heavy falls may also occur in upper parts of the country. Hailstorm is also expected at isolated places during the period

Note: Landslides due to heavy rainfall may occur at Malakand, Hazara and Kashmir areas. All the concerned Authorities are advised to remain alert during the forecast period.