By Zainab Ali
ISLAMABAD: The authorities have closed the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway due to thick fog. There is heavy fog in different areas of Punjab and Sindh.
Many other motorways are also closed due to fog. Motorway M-2 is closed from Lahore to Sheikhupura. Motorway M-3 is closed from Faizpur to Darkhana. Motorway M-4 is closed from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakeem.
Advice from Motorway police
The public has been requested by the Motorway Police to avoid unnecessary travel in foggy weather and use fog lights while on the road. The public has also been advised to maintain proper distance between the vehicles. Before starting the journey, help can be taken from helpline 130.
Furthermore, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (Met) has forecast cloudy weather in the upper parts, with rain and snow over the mountains expected at isolated places in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Foggy conditions will likely persist over plain areas of Punjab, upper Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa during night and morning hours. As per the synoptic situation, a shallow westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country today.
Air quality
The air quality in the capital of Punjab, i.e., Lahore, is 365 US AQI; in Bahawalpur, it is 223, 187 in Muridke, 185 in Rawalpindi, and 165 in Sialkot. In Sindh, the air quality in Karachi is 237 US AQI, while Islamabad’s air quality stands at 156. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, air quality is 80 in Abbottabad and 268 in Peshawar. “Good” AQI is 0 – 50.
Recorded temperatures
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (Met), a maximum of 6 degrees Celsius (°C) temperature was recorded in Islamabad, 10°C in Lahore, 15°C in Karachi, 5°C in Quetta, and -1°C in Gilgit.
Minimum recorded temperatures
Today’s Recorded Lowest Minimum Temperatures (°C): Leh -11, Skardu -07, Kalam -05, Ziarat, Gupis -04, Kalat, Gilgit and Astore -03.
