ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Monday dismissed claims circulating on social media about an approaching severe cold wave in the country.
The department said there is no chance of any unusual or historically extreme cold spell between January 16 and 25. It clarified that temperatures are expected to stay within the normal range and that no forecast has been issued for record-breaking cold.
The Met Office urged the public not to trust unverified weather updates shared online and advised people to rely only on official and credible forecasts. It stressed that reports of an intense cold wave currently making the rounds on social media are unfounded.
Meanwhile, cold and dry weather is expected across most parts of the country over the next twelve hours, with very cold conditions in hilly regions. Moderate to dense fog is likely to continue over Punjab, upper Sindh, and the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Morning temperatures in major cities were recorded as follows: Islamabad three degrees Celsius, Lahore five, Karachi nine, Peshawar four, Quetta zero, Gilgit minus four, Murree zero and Muzaffarabad two degrees Celsius.
In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy and very cold weather is expected in Srinagar, Leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramula, while Jammu is likely to remain partly cloudy and cold.
Temperatures recorded this morning in the region were: Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag minus three degrees Celsius, Jammu four, Leh minus nine, and Shopian and Baramula minus two degrees Celsius.