A severe cold wave has gripped the country, with temperatures dropping below freezing in several cities, and the meteorological department has forecast severe fog and smog in the densely populated plain areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the latest official forecast issued today, the weather is expected to remain cold and dry in most parts of the country.

The weather is likely to remain severely cold in the northern mountainous regions, especially during the morning and night hours.

The cold conditions were confirmed by the recorded temperatures, with Quetta at minus three degrees Celsius and Gilgit at minus four. Other urban centers also recorded low temperatures: Islamabad and Peshawar at four degrees, Lahore nine, Karachi thirteen, while Murree and Muzaffarabad recorded three degrees Celsius.