The Met Office on Monday asked the farmers to use pesticides in a bid to avoid pest attacks on standing crops in line with the agriculture department's guidelines.

It also wanted the farmers to step up efforts to protect their nurseries from severe frost. In the next 10 days, it said that daytime temperature may remain be below normal but nighttime slightly below normal in the most of the agricultural plains. Generally, it said, a normal wind pattern may prevail in the most of the agricultural plains of the country.

In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A dry and cold weather is the expected with a severe frost in a few plains of both provinces until Dec 31. In Sindh and Balochistan, a dry and cold weather is the expected. Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are expected to witness a dry and cold weather until Dec 25 while snow may fall after Dec 26 onwards.

In the next 24 hours: Dense fog is likely to prevail in most plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh while in few districts of KP during morning and night hours. Frost is also likely to be observed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Potohar region during the period. Cold and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country while very cold in upper areas.

"Dry continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country. A shallow westerly wave is affecting extreme northern parts of the country," the Met said. In the past 24 hours: Weather remained dry and cold in the most parts of the country while very cold in upper areas. The coldest place in country was Skardu with minus 11 degrees Celsius. Weather in Karachi is expected to remain cool and dry on Tuesday with a minimum temperature 13 degrees Celsius and 30 percent humidity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019