RAWALPINDI: Continued rain in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad not only disturbed civic life but delayed or cancelled national and international flights on Saturday.
The meteorological department recorded 49 millimeter (mm) at Shamsabad, 47mm at Chaklala, 60mm at Zero Point, 56mm at Saidpur, 55mm at Golra and 44mm at Bokra during the last 24 hours.
The rain began on Thursday night and continued with regular intervals on Friday and Saturday, which not only brought the temperature down but also created puddles on Pindi roads, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and users of two wheelers.
Heavy showers also threw vehicular traffic out of gear on many Rawalpindi roads including Raja Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Road, Benazir Bhutto Road, the Mall, Airport Road, Rawal Road and Tipu Road, traffic police said.
The rain and bad weather also delayed and cancelled national and international flights.
A flight from Urumqi, China, was due to arrive on Saturday morning at 9am but was cancelled because of bad weather, an airport official told Dawn. He said two flights for Gilgit and Skardu were also cancelled due to poor visibility.
Met Office has forecast more rain on Sunday and Monday.
“Westerly wave is affecting upper and central parts of the country and likely to prevail until Monday, which may bring more rains in next 48 hours,” an official of the Met Office, who was not authorised to speak on record, said.
He, however, said the intensity of the rain will subside on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the rain brought good news for the pollen patients as the health experts were of the view that the rain had washed small particles of pollen in the air.
Dr. Javed Hayat, in-charge infectious diseases at Holy Family Hospital, told Dawn that the rain was a blessing for the pollen patients as it had settled down the particles in the air.
He also advised the citizens to use boiled water besides washing their hands before every meal as in the rainy season chances of contracting infectious disease increased.
The managing directors of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company visited the city areas to view precautionary measures being taken to preempt emergency situation.
The Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood told Dawn the Leh Nullah had risen by five to six feet only.
