Pakistan: Everyday life is disrupted by dense fog that engulfs Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Pakistan: According to Dawn, dense fog engulfed the twin towns of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, interfering with everyday life as visibility fell to as low as 25 meters in some places before progressively improving later in the day.

In both cities, the fog had a significant impact on morning traffic flow and daily operations. Dense fog persisted between five and eight in the morning, affecting operations at Islamabad International Airport as well.

According to Dawn, officials from the Meteorological Department said that the fog-filled cold wave is expected to persist on Saturday over most of the nation, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The expert told Dawn that by the end of the week, the cold wave and fog should progressively lessen in severity. According to him, the continental air that predominates over most places has caused chilly, dry weather, and the higher hilly regions are anticipated to continue to have severely cold morning and nighttime temperatures.

The official further said that there is no imminent sign of rain in the next days and that moderate to thick fog is predicted across the plains of Punjab, upper Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to him, the twin cities can still experience fog in the early morning and late at night.

Four degrees Celsius was the lowest recorded temperature in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. “The temperature will further drop to 1 degree Celsius in the coming two to three days,” according to the official.

Living circumstances in the twin cities have become worse due to the protracted cold wave and ongoing fog, and inhabitants in a number of regions have also reported low gas pressure.

According to Dawn, hospitals have seen a rise in patients with cold-related ailments, with physicians observing that youngsters and the elderly are particularly afflicted.Most of the patients who come to the hospital every day have concerns about very chilly weather. Every day, we get around 100 patients,” a top physician at Benazir Bhutto Hospital said.

To lessen the effects of dry cold, medical professionals urged the people to stay warm, protect their heads and ears, and drink more liquids—especially soups.

Reduced visibility also had an impact on rail services, with trains from Karachi and Lahore arriving late in Rawalpindi. Instead of arriving at 5:00 am as planned, a train from Lahore arrived at 6:00 am.Drivers were advised to slow down due to poor visibility in order to prevent any unfortunate incidents, according to a Railways official.

The Motorway Police cautioned that lane breaches under foggy circumstances might result in major accidents, citing the Met Office’s prediction of moderate to thick fog across the plains of Punjab, upper Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn said.

Drivers were advised to closely adhere to lane discipline, turn on their fog lights, slow down, and keep a safe distance from cars in front of them. Additionally, citizens were urged to avoid needless travel and schedule their trips throughout the day, with 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. being noted as comparatively safer times when visibility is predicted to improve.

As monitoring teams continue to be stationed on important roads to control traffic and maintain safety in the face of changing weather conditions, the public has been urged to call the Motorway Police hotline at 130 for direction or assistance during fog-related interruptions.