Fog disrupts flight schedule in Islamabad

Schedules for buses, trains, and flights were significantly disrupted on Saturday morning due to dense fog in Islamabad and the surrounding areas.

There is a lot of fog in the Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, which makes it difficult to see and seriously disrupts traffic.

The Islamabad International Airport’s flight schedule was also affected by the fog.

The airport was closed to aircraft landing and taking off, which resulted in the cancellation of one flight and the delay of seven others. On the runway, visibility was only fifty meters.

Three PIA flights, two Serene Airlines flights, one each of Gulf Airlines and China Southern, and one delayed flight were all reported by the airport flight inquiry.

While the Islamabad to Gilgit PIA flight 601 has been canceled There were three delays on Serene Airlines flights: ER 801 from Islamabad to Jeddah, which was delayed by three hours, and ER 802 from Jeddah to Islamabad, which was delayed by seven hours. These delays affected PIA flight PK 301 from Islamabad to Karachi. There was a five and a half hour delay on Gulf Airlines flight GF770 from Bahrain to Islamabad and an hour and forty minute delay on China Southern Airlines flight CZ 6007 from Irqami, China to Islamabad.

Read More: Heavy fog causes traffic jams on highways

An hour has been added to the schedules of National Airlines flight PK 300 from Karachi to Islamabad and PIA flight PK 742 from Jeddah to Islamabad.

For the next two days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) primarily forecasts cold and dry weather for the area.

The plain areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Upper Sindh are predicted to continue to experience thick fog in the upcoming days, according to the PMD, which also warns of decreased day temperatures in much of the province due to the persistent fog.

Most of Pakistan is experiencing continental air due to the present synoptic conditions, which has prompted officials to warn commuters to keep informed and make appropriate travel plans.

Numerous highways across the nation have been temporarily closed due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Read More: Fog causes traffic jams on Motorways in some areas of Punjab

The Motorway Police have confirmed that traffic is blocked on the M1 motorway, which connects Islamabad and Peshawar. Likewise, there is a temporary closure of the M2 motorway, which runs from Chakri to Neela Dullah, and the M3 highway, which runs from Faizpur to Darkhana.

Due to high traffic and poor visibility, the M4 motorway is closed from Shamkot to Abdul Hakeem and from Abdul Hakeem to Pindi Bhattian. In addition, the Motorway Police have announced that the M5 motorway, which runs from Multan to Rohri, is inaccessible.

The fog also affects the National Highway N5, thus motorists are advised to travel carefully, according to the Motorway Police.

Assistance can be obtained by calling the National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) helpdesk at 130. Regular updates are also posted on official social media sites.

Apart from the difficulties caused by thick fog, the area is facing increasing levels of air pollution that are causing dangerous smog.