Unexpected snowfall takes several lives in Pakistan, Afghanistan; Northwest Indian shivers in March

Freezing rain and unexpected snowfall hit remote areas of Pakistan over the weekend, killing at least 35 people and injuring many.

Among the fatalities, there were 22 children, crushed under in landslides that destroyed their houses.

According to the disaster management authorities, the harsh weather conditions in Pakistan’s northern and western regions blocked several roads and buried hundreds of homes.

In Afghanistan, at least 39 people died and more than 30 suffered injuries across different provinces as heavy showers and snowfall hit several regions.

The sudden snowfall typically has shocked weather experts as Pakistan is usually mild in March.

Mushtaq Ali Shah, a former director of Pakistan’s meteorological department, connected the abnormal weather conditions to climate change.

A westerly disturbance has been moving across Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwest India in the last few days, making the region colder than expected. Many places in these regions are experiencing heavy snow and torrential rain.

In a weekly forecast, Pakistan’s meteorological department said that most parts of the country will have “mainly cold and dry weather, while some parts of Balochistan and Kashim could expect “snowfall over hills.”

While summer has already arrived in India’s southern parts, hot weather seems to be taking its sweet time to reach the northern half of the country.