Rain, snowfall turn weather chillier in KP

PESHAWAR: The weather turned chillier as the intermittent rains continued to hit all districts of the province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on the second consecutive day on Saturday.

In the provincial capital, the rain continued throughout the day, forcing the people to remain indoors. In some areas, the drainage remained chocked due to rainwater.

Feroz Shah, spokesman for the district administration, said the teams were put on high alert to cope with chocked drainages in the four towns of the city.

Widespread rain has been reported from all districts of the province and the highest rainfall of 128 millimeters (mm) was recorded in Malamjabba, Swat followed by Pattan, 49 mm, Kakul, 40mm, Balakot, 37mm, Saidu Sharif, 32mm, Dir, 28 mm, Peshawar and Kalam, 24mm each, Cherat, 22mm, Parachinar, 18mm, Bannu, 14mm, Kohat, 13mm, Cherat and Lower Dir, 11mm each, Dera Ismail Khan and Mirkhani, 13mm, Drosh, 08 mm and Chitral, 6mm.

The Met Office has forecast more showers in the province and adjacent tribal belt during the next 24 hours.

The areas expected to witness downpour with thundershower include Malakand, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Torghar, Kohistan, Haripur, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, DI Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kurram, North and South Waziristan agencies in the tribal belt.

Reports from Upper Dir said that the Lowari Top had received one to two feet snowfall. The hills of Zakhna, Kumrat, Thal, Brawal and other areas also received moderate snowfall.

Meanwhile, Kalam, Mataltan and Atror in Swat district received four to six inches snowfall while heavy rains lashed Madyan and Bahrain for the second day in Swat district.

The water level has risen in the River Swat while the attendance of the students remained thin in schools as they preferred to stay indoors.  The rains brought down the mercury and the local people have restricted their movements.