A number of cities in the country have received light rain Tuesday morning bringing more chill to the weather and reducing smog cleansing the environment in Lahore, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

After remaining the world’s capital as far as the smog-triggered pollution was concerned, Lahore on Tuesday morning breathed a sigh of relief as the intermittent rain cleansed the atmosphere.

After staying at the top with heavy readings for many months, the Air Quality Index (AQI) level for Lahore was 181 on Tuesday pushing its rank from the world’s number one polluted city to number six.

More rains predicted for the next few days are also likely to bring down the smog level considerably in Lahore and other polluted cities of Pakistan.

Like Lahore, light showers in other cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Chichawatni, Sheikhupura, Mian Channu, Dunyapur and Jacobabad turned the weather cold.

According to Met Office, a strong westerly wave has entered western and upper parts of the country and is likely to grip most parts of the country and may persist until Friday.

The Met Office said that rain wind-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at scattered places in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, upper Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir during the next 24 hours. Cold and cloudy weather is expected elsewhere in the country.

Isolated heavy falls are also likely in parts of Balochistan while heavy rain and snowfall in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also likely during the said period.

The Met Office also predicted rains in Lahore between January 4 and 7.

Rain with isolated heavy falls is expected in Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore and Kasur until January 7.

Heavy Snowfall is also expected in Quetta, Pishin, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Harnai, Chaman Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Haveli, Rawalakot, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Malam Jabba during the said period.

Under the influence of this weather system rain with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is expected in Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Nokkundi, Dalbandin, Noshki, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani, Lasbella, Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Jhalmagsi, Bolan, Sibbi, Kohlu, Barkhan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur until January 6.

Meanwhile, cold and partly cloudy weather prevailed over most parts of the country, while very cold in hilly areas during the past 24 hours.

However, the rain was recorded in some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The lowest minimum temperature was recorded in Leh where mercury fell to -9°C during the past 24 hours.