Tag: winters

  • Temperatures to fall further across Pakistan

    Temperatures to fall further across Pakistan

    Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted cold and dry weather for most parts of the country.

    Sindh is to experience a wave of cold especially in Karachi. Weather analyst Jawad Memon has said, “Mercury may drop to single digit in the suburban areas of Karachi.”

    A shallow westerly wave was affecting western Balochistan which is likely to have moved northeast. It will affect the upper parts, causing cold waves in Sindh as soon as the system moves out in the next 24 hours.

    The Met Department said that mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most plain areas of the country, while very cold and partly cloudy weather is expected in the upper parts during the next week.

    Fog is likely in upper Sindh, plain areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during morning and night, it added.

  • 78 people die in Afghanistan after temperature drops to -34 degrees

    According to a Taliban official, at least 78 individuals have died in Afghanistan’s frigid temperatures during the past nine days.

    According to Shafiullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management, over 77,000 animals have also perished in recent days after temperatures fell to record lows.

    The frigid weather has turned into the country’s coldest winter in 15 years, with temperatures dipping as low as -34 degrees Celsius (-29.2 degrees Fahrenheit), Reuters has reported.

    “The weather will get colder in the next few days, therefore it is necessary to consider humanitarian aid for affected people,” said Abdullah Ahmadi, the head of the operations centre for emergency conditions at the Ministry of Disaster Management has said.

    Health professionals noted a substantial rise in the number of small children with severe pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses even in the early days of winter. Rising poverty that prevents people from adequately heating their homes is partly to blame for the illnesses.

  • What is the new dress code and timings for school going students in Islamabad?

    The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has changed timings for educational institutes and announced a relaxation in uniform policy amid the extreme cold in the capital.

    Single-shift institutes will run from 8:30am to 2:30pm Monday through Thursday and close at 12:30pm on Friday, according to the official notification.

    On Monday through Thursday, evening shifts in double-shift institutions will run from 1:30pm to 7pm. On Friday, it will begin at 2:30 PM.
    Pre-I (Montessori/Prep) lessons will be offered Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm.

    Students are permitted to dress in any warm clothing of any colour to stay warm in the month of January to February, according to the official announcement.

  • ‘Used to go to school in the same weather, never complained’ Murad Raas thinks school holidays should not be extended despite smog

    ‘Used to go to school in the same weather, never complained’ Murad Raas thinks school holidays should not be extended despite smog

    Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas has criticised the parents, students and teachers who are requesting an extension in school winter holidays.

    “Why are parents/teachers/students wanting more winter holidays? We used to go to school in the same weather and never complained. What is wrong with this generation – no one wants to do anything! Especially study,” the minister wrote in a tweet.

    The School Education Department held a meeting on Thursday in which the participants decided to not extend winter vacations. Education officials indicated that it would not be advantageous to extend the holidays because of upcoming examination schedules and declared that the schools will reopen on January 9.
    Lahore and parts of central Punjab are in the grip of intense smog, with reduced visibility in the early hours of the morning.

  • Control room established in Lahore to monitor smog

    Control room established in Lahore to monitor smog

    The Ministry of Climate Change has set up a smog control room in Lahore to regularly monitor smog that causes health problems to people in different areas of the province during the winters.

    The other objective of the Control Room was to have a constant check on smog Air Quality Index (AQI) in the province during coming days.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the process to fight smog has begun.

    He said there would be a regular check on crop burning, transport and industrial emissions, brick kilns and cross-border emissions which are the main sources of smog production.

    Malik Amin said that farmers have been provided with much-needed technology to help them avoid burning of crop residue and instead convert the residue into organic fertilizer to enhance the fertility of their farmlands.

    He said technology is also being introduced across the country under the government’s project for Mechanized Management of Rice Crop Residue for which thirty billion rupees are being spent for payment of 50,000 units of rice straw shredder.

  • NIH warns rapid spread of COVID-19 in winter

    NIH warns rapid spread of COVID-19 in winter

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) has advised health authorities to declare high alert due to the likelihood of speedy spread of seven diseases including COVID -19 during the winter season.

    In an advisory called Seasonal Awareness and Alert Letter (Saal) it has been informed that the diseases such as COVID-19, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus, dengue fever, diphtheria, pertussis, seasonal flu and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid can spread rapidly from October to February.

    According to a statement issued by the NIH, the main goal of SAAL is to aware all the health authorities and professionals concerned at all levels for a timely and effective response to the diseases.

    “Based on last five-year data, NIH recommends for all federal, provincial and district health departments to keep a continuous observation and watch on the anticipated seasonal public health threats and taking of all preventive or curative measures in this context,” it states.

    Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, NIH is facilitating testing and capacity building services for all educational, economic, administrative and local institutions at Islamabad along with technical advice and support.

    The necessary technical guidelines and awareness material regarding infectious diseases are also available at the NIH website: www.nih.org.pk

  • Sui Northern tells us when to cook during winters

    Sui Northern tells us when to cook during winters

    The Sui Northern Gas Company has warned that there could be a shortage in severe cold and has issued a few directions for the consumers to follow to avoid any inconvenience.

    These include:

    • Using electric heaters instead of gas heaters
    • Using electric/instant geyser
    • Using a geyser timer device with the traditional gas geyser
    • Gas will be provided during the cooking hours

    However, the authority has not revealed cooking hours yet.

    A statement issued by SNGPL said that the increase in gas consumption during the winter results in the shortage of gas. A wise approach towards gas consumption can make the situation much better.

  • ‘Lahore beats London’: Twitter goes crazy as mercury drops to 35-year low

    Twitterati, especially those from Lahore, lost it over the micro-blogging website after the residents of Punjab’s provincial capital woke up to the coldest winter morning in over 35 years.

    According to The Express Tribune, the temperature in the provincial capital was equivalent to Murree at 2°C early on Monday, which was followed by a minimum of 3°C and a maximum of 8°C on Tuesday.

    Data by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) showed that shivering low temperature of 1°C was recorded in Attock and Dera Ghazi Khan, 2°C in Lahore, Murree, Rawalpindi, Multan, Chakwal and Bahawalpur, 3°C in Jhelum and 4°C in Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Sargodha.

    As winter blues grip Lahore, here’s what Twitterati have to say about it:

    https://twitter.com/fakihawajihaJvd/status/1211901883822071808

    Meanwhile, Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz has highlighted that the current chilly spell would continue till mid-January.

    “Although climate change has some impact on weather patterns, there is nothing unusual. The coldest winter spell is witnessed from mid-December to mid-January every year,” he added.

    Weather reports issued by the PMD indicate that continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country and a shallow westerly wave is likely to affect the western and upper parts of the country from Tuesday (today).