The Met Office has asked the farmers to schedule irrigation plans for the Rabi crop keeping in view the rainy spell in the country. A rainy weather is expected across the country except Sindh in the next 10 days, so farmers should make irrigation plans for standing crops and should be cleaned from weeds that reduce agriculture output. "Measures may be taken to preserve the crops/nurseries from the damaging impacts of extreme cold conditions," it added.

In the coming days: Weather in Punjab: Rain thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at isolated places of Lahore, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi Division and Islamabad. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Rain thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected in Peshawar, Malakand, Mardan, Hazara and Bannu divisions. In Sindh: Mainly cold and dry weather is expected. In Baluchistan: Rainfall is expected at scattered places in Quetta, Zhob and Kalat Divisions. In Gilgit-Baltistan: Rain thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected.

In Kashmir: Rain-thunder storm is expected. In the next 24 hours: A cloudy weather is expected in upper and central parts of the country.

However, scattered rain thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is likely in Quetta, Zhob, Kalat, Malakand, Hazara, Kohat, Bannu, D I Khan and Rawalpindi divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while isolated falls in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Faisalabad divisions and Islamabad.

In the last 24 hours: Minimum temperature was recorded in Bagrote as minus 7 degrees Celsius, Skardu and Gupis minus 5 each, Astore and Kalam minus 4 each, Malamjabba and Hunza minus 3 each, and Mirkhani minus 1. Malamjabba received 8 mm of rainfall, Parachinar 5 mm, Kalam 4 mm, Dir and Skardu and Bagrote 3 mm, each. Malamjabba also received 2 inches of snowfall.

"A westerly wave is affecting western parts of the country and likely to persist in upper parts till Friday," the Met said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019