Freak hailstorm upends life in country’s north

• Four killed in parts of Punjab, soldier loses his life due to deluge, lightning strikes in KP
• ‘Golf ball-sized’ hailstones damage vehicles, solar panels; gusts uproot trees, power pylons
• Flash floods disrupt traffic on Peshawar-Torkham Highway
KHYBER/ISLAMABAD: A freak hail and thunderstorm swept across parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal capital on Wednesday and claimed several lives across both provinces, damaging public and private property as well as standing crops.
The rain also induced flash floods in KP, which also affected traffic, particularly on the main Peshawar-Torkham Road, where traffic remained suspended for up to five hours due to a swollen stream. In Islamabad, hailstones “as big as a golf balls” damaged vehicles and solar panels, while Tarnol remained the most-affected area, where strong winds uprooted trees and power pylons. The storm followed several dry and hot days in the northern part of the country, as the region witnessed ‘vertical instability’…             Source: dawn.com/