More rain forecast during next four days
By Adnan Refique

ISLAMABAD—Director General Meteorological Department Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry Sunday forecast more rain during next four days in various parts of Punjab, AJK, upper parts of NWFP and the Northern Areas. Talking to PTV he said mountainous areas were likely to receive heavy snow, which could cause landsliding especially in thr earthquake affected areas. Besides, heavy snowfall and rain is expected in some parts of Balochistan during next 48 hours, he said issuing flash-flood warning for these areas at local level.
He said westernly weather system was prevailing in the country for the last 48 hours and it would continue during next three to four days. The DG Met said recent spell of rains would leave positive impact on crops and improve water level in the reservoirs.
Intermittent rain continued across the country, while snow fell over the mountainous areas including Northern Areas, Hazara and Chitral divisions on Sunday. Northern parts of Balochistan including Quetta, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Killa Abdullah, Pishin, Barshor, Khojak hill, Khawaja Imran and Harbozai have been receiving snowfall for the third consecutive day and intense cold wave has gripped the entire region. Besides, southern parts of the province including Panjgur, Jaffarabad, Dera Allah Yar, Noshki and Mastung have also been receiving rainfall for the last three days, regional met office sources informed. According to reports reaching here some clay-built houses have been collapsed after continuous rainfall in various districts of the province, but no casualty has so far been reported.
The provincial capital has also been receiving rain for the last three days. The rain and snowfall has exposed the poor sanitation system of the provincial metropolis as most roads and streets are inundated causing serious problems in chilly weather for pedestrians and vehicles.
However, road traffic was not affected between Quetta and other parts of the province as a result of the wet spell. Farmers in Noshki, Kharan and Dalbandin expressed their pleasure over the recent rainfall as they say the rain would improve water table and help in cultivation. The Met Office has forecast that the recent spell of snowfall will continue in Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Khojak, Ziarat, and some other northern parts Balochistan during the next 24 hours. While the rainfall will also continue in other parts of the province including Turbat, Makran, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Noshki, Panjgur and other southern parts of the province.
Meanwhile, a PIA official told APP that all Quetta-bound PIA flights from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and coastal areas of Balochistan arrived and departed on schedule. However, two flights including a PIA Hajj flight and an Air Blue flight were canceled as planned earlier, but not due to the snowfall in the provincial capital, he added. It is worth mentioning here that northern parts of Balochistan have been receiving snowfall in December and January for the last three years after a long spell of drought which prevailed in the province for eight years.