Motorways reopened for traffic after dense fog lifts

LAHORE: After the lifting of intense fog after 11:00AM several sections of motorways, which were earlier closed have been reopened for traffic.

However Lahore continues to be one of the most polluted cities with Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching above 200.

Earlier due to intense fog engulfing Lahore and its surrounding areas, several sections of the motorway were closed for traffic.

According to the Motorway Police, due to the concentrated pollution permeating the air, Motorway M4 from Pindi Bhattian till Abdul Hakim Interchange was shut down.

Similarly, Motorway M5 from Taranda Muhammad Panah Interchange was also closed as well.

The motorway police has advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel during foggy conditions.

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Likewise, timings for Lahore’s Orange Line were also affected due to intense fog, due to which several people were unable to commute to work adding to their problems.

However later in the day the motorways were reopned for traffic.

Weather in Punjab

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, in the next 24 hours, cities across Punjab will experience extremely cold but dry weather. Whereas, the lower regions will experience a strong smog along with a thick fog around morning and night time.

The Met Department further mentioned that in the next 24 hours, weather across Punjab will remain extremely cold and dry. Lahore along with Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Sargodha, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khanewal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Gardonawa will be covered in smog.

Pollution has reached record levels within the provincial capital, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore reaching an alarming level of over 200 making it the second most polluted city globally.

The air quality is almost 23 times worse than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality standard. The city is currently within the top five most polluted cities in the world.