KARACHI, QUETTA: The port city received the first rain of this winter season with drizzle and light showers reported in different areas in the wee hours of Saturday.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast partly cloudy weather in the evening, while weather expert Owais Hyder has expressed possibility of more light drizzle in some areas of Karachi.
The weatherman said that the wet spell can increase the intensity of prevailing cold weather starting today.
As per the Met Office data, drizzle was reported in Sharea Faisal, Karsaz, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Federal B Area, MA Jinnah Road, Numaish Chowrangi, Guru Mandir, Dalmia, Shanti Nagar, Sceheme 33, University Road, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Baldia Town, Orangi Town and Noth Nazimabad.
Meanwhile, light rain was witnessed in Hub Chowki and Surjani as well.
The light showers follow PMD’s earlier forecast of the weather turning chillier from January 4 (today) under the effect of westerly winds.
However, despite the rain, the metropolis’s air quality remained poor with an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 257 — a level classified as “very unhealthy”, as per Swiss air quality monitor IQAir.
Ranked as the second-most polluted city on Saturday, the concentration of toxic PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter small enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled — was measured at 182 µg/m³, which is 36.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
Apart from Karachi, Balochistan’s capital Quetta and its surrounding areas also received snowfall along with intermittent rain, whereas Ziarat, Mastung, Lakpass and Kan Mehtarzai witnessed snowfall.
Snowfall is also expected in Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Zhob and Barkhan.
The weather department has said that the rain and snowfall will continue till January 5 (Sunday).
Rain was also reported in Kohlu and nearby areas.
Furthermore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu also received showers, whereas intermittent snowfall has been reported in Gilgit’s Diamir, Babusar Top and Nanga Parbat.