MULTAN: Dense fog once again enveloped large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, causing extremely poor visibility and major disruptions to road and air travel.
Several sections of motorways were closed to ensure safety, including stretches of the M-1 from the Toll Plaza to Burhan Interchange, M-2 from Thokar Niaz Beg, Lahore to Balkasar, M-3 from Faizpur to Darkhana, M-4 from Pindi Bhattian to Kot Abdul Hakim, and M-11 connecting Lahore to Sialkot.
On national highways, visibility in some areas dropped to less than 100 meters, forcing drivers to exercise extreme caution.
In Punjab, cities including Lahore, Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur experienced thick fog and chilly conditions. Lahore recorded a minimum temperature of 8°C and a maximum of 19°C, with humidity at 68 percent and a light breeze of 2 km/h. Fog slowed traffic and disrupted daily routines, making travel hazardous for motorists. Islamabad also reported bitterly cold weather, with temperatures ranging between 7°C and 20°C and a gentle breeze of 7 km/h.
The Met Office forecast dry weather for the federal capital over the next 24 hours but predicted showers from December 30 to January 2.
Air travel was badly affected, particularly at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, where over 25 flights faced delays due to the dense fog reducing runway visibility to 150 meters. Qatar Airways flight QR-628 from Doha was delayed by five hours, while Fly Jinnah’s 9P-531 from Bahrain faced a ten-hour delay. AirSial’s PF-797 from Abu Dhabi was held up by eight hours, and Airblue’s PA-475 from Riyadh by eight and a half hours.
Additionally, flights bound for Jeddah, Dubai, and Doha experienced delays of 21, 13, and 19 hours respectively, while some flights, including PIA’s PK-740 from Jeddah and Fly Jinnah’s 9P-513 from Dubai, were diverted to Islamabad airport. Passengers were advised to stay in contact with airlines and follow official updates for travel information.
In Sindh, the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted partly cloudy and cold weather across most districts. Light rain or drizzle may occur at isolated locations along the coast, including Karachi, Hyderabad, and Thatta. Morning and night fog is expected over Sukkur, Rohri, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Mohenjo Daro, while generally cold and partly cloudy conditions will prevail across the province.
Balochistan is also set to experience rainfall as westerly winds sweep across the province. Quetta, Ziarat, Kalat, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Noshki, Harnai, and Barkhan are expected to receive rain until December 31. Meteorological authorities advised residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to exercise caution, while local authorities were urged to remain vigilant.
Authorities stressed that motorists should avoid unnecessary travel, particularly during foggy conditions at night. Drivers were advised to use fog lights, maintain safe distances, stay in their lanes, and reduce speed to prevent accidents.
Airline passengers were urged to monitor flight updates and remain patient as airlines adjust schedules in response to poor visibility. Citizens were also reminded to follow official Met Office advisories for timely updates and safety instructions.
