PESHAWAR: Severe snowfall across northern Pakistan has disrupted daily life, forcing road closures and prompting authorities to advise tourists to avoid mountainous regions. multiple areas have been hit by heavy snow, leaving transport networks crippled and communities isolated.
Substantial snowfall has been recorded in Waziristan, Mansehra, Swat, Malam Jabba, Chitral, as well as parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In Chitral, the Lowari Tunnel Road has been buried under nearly three feet of snow, while mountainous areas of Upper Dir have seen accumulations reaching up to eight feet.
Authorities have barred tourists from entering Kaghan Valley as a precautionary measure. In Tirah Valley of Khyber district, intense snowfall has stranded dozens of vehicles, while road links in several parts of Kurram and Orakzai districts have been completely cut off. Meanwhile, four tourists trapped at Shangla Top were successfully rescued.
Conditions remain particularly challenging in AJK, where several major highways have been closed to traffic. Popular hill resorts including Murree, Ayubia, and Nathia Gali have also been severely affected, with hundreds of tourists left stranded due to blocked roads and suspended power supply.
Both the Expressway and Old Murree Road have been shut amid the worsening weather.
Snow accumulation in Nathia Gali has exceeded three feet, while Thandiani has received around four feet. Temperatures have plunged sharply, with Nathia Gali recording a minimum of minus nine degrees Celsius and Abbottabad dropping to minus four.
In Islamabad, the temperature fell to three degrees Celsius early Saturday, with daytime highs expected to reach around 11 degrees. Winds in the capital were blowing at approximately 13 kilometers per hour, and humidity levels stood at 70 percent.
