Heatwave warning issued for Karachi as temperatures soar across Sindh

Karachi, Apr 18 (PTI) The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday issued a heatwave warning for Karachi, as temperatures continue to soar across southern Sindh province.

The PMD said a severe heatwave has gripped much of Sindh, and Karachi is also expected to experience a significant rise in temperatures in the coming week.

Rural districts including Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jacobabad, Larkana, Badin, Tharparkar, Umerkot, and Hyderabad have all recorded temperatures 6 to 8 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. In Karachi, the mercury is expected to rise above 40 deg C.

The heatwave, which has persisted for nearly a week, continued on Friday with maximum temperatures reaching up to 49 deg C in some areas.

Sardar Sarfaraz Khan, Chief Meteorologist at the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics in Karachi, said the current temperatures are highly unusual for this time of year.

“In the past, heat waves in Sindh used to occur during June and July, but changing geo-weather patterns are now altering seasonal trends,” he said.

According to Sarfaraz, maximum temperatures recorded in various districts of Sindh are Dadu 47 deg C, Mohenjo Daro and Paddidan 46.5 deg C, Larkana 46 deg C, Mithi and Sakrand 45 deg C, Tandojam and Chhor: 44.5 deg C, Rohri 44 deg C, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas 43.5 deg C, Sukkur 43 deg C, Jacobabad 42.5 deg C, Badin 40.5 deg C, and Thatta 38.5 deg C.

“These temperatures are 6 to 8 deg C above normal,” he noted.

Karachi is expected to witness a heat wave between April 20 and 23, Khan said, urging residents to take precautions, noting that the dynamics of heat in a major urban centre like Karachi differ significantly from those in smaller towns and rural areas.

The city has faced deadly heatwaves in the past. In 2015, nearly 1,200 people died and another 50,000 fell ill due to heatstroke and dehydration. In 2018, another heatwave claimed 65 lives in just three days.

Pakistan’s largest city also continues to struggle with chronic power outages and frequent load-shedding, compounding the risks posed by extreme heat. PTI CORR SCY SCY