Islamabad, January 23, 2026 – The Europe Today: Pakistan’s weather authorities on Friday warned that further rain and snowfall may affect the country’s northern regions in the coming hours, advising tourists to avoid unnecessary travel as rescue and relief operations continued amid growing disruptions.
Heavy snowfall has already blanketed several mountainous areas, including parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree and the Galiyat belt. In multiple locations, roads were blocked and some villages were temporarily cut off, while local reports also indicated power outages in several affected communities.
Rescue teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said stranded residents and tourists were evacuated after snowfall left vehicles immobilised and access routes impassable. Districts such as Khyber, South Waziristan and Swat were among the worst affected, with authorities continuing road-clearing operations and distributing essential supplies, including food, warm clothing and bedding.
“The system causing rain and snowfall is active over northern parts of the country,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in an advisory, forecasting additional showers and snowfall over the next few hours. The department urged travellers to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary movement during periods of adverse weather.
The warning comes as Pakistan’s northern areas attract large numbers of winter tourists, many of whom travel to witness snowfall despite repeated advisories from disaster management authorities. Officials have consistently highlighted the risk of motorists and visitors becoming stranded in remote, high-altitude regions due to rapidly changing weather conditions.
In response to the latest weather spell, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan directed the National Highway Authority to ensure that major routes remain open and operational. Authorities were instructed to maintain round-the-clock monitoring and keep field teams on high alert, with particular emphasis on maintaining traffic flow in upper regions where heavy snowfall can quickly disrupt key highways.
