Authorities today issued a stark warning to tourists, advising them to avoid unnecessary travel and exercise extreme caution due to a significant risk of landslides in the upper parts of the country this weekend. The advisory comes as the national meteorological office forecasts a powerful westerly weather system set to bring inclement conditions from Saturday evening until Monday morning.
The National Weather Forecasting Centre has predicted that a westerly wave will approach the northwestern regions on the evening of 14th March and is expected to persist until the morning of 16th March.
Under the influence of this system, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are anticipated, bringing moderate rain, wind, and thunderstorms. Snowfall over high mountains and isolated hailstorms are also expected in the districts of Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Peshawar, among others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Similar conditions are forecasted for Zhob, Ziarat, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir from the night of the 14th to the morning of the 16th of March.
A widespread rain-wind and thunderstorm system, with the possibility of isolated hailstorms, is also anticipated for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, and major cities across Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, and Multan. The meteorological office notes these conditions will occur with occasional gaps during the same period.
In addition to the landslide threat in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir, the forecast warns of potential lightning strikes in isolated places. Daytime temperatures are expected to decrease by 03 to 04 °C in the country”s upper regions.
Farmers have been advised to manage their agricultural activities in accordance with the prevailing weather forecast.
The Met office also indicated that another western disturbance is likely to approach the western parts of the country on the night of 17th March, suggesting further unsettled weather may follow.