Karachi excited for winter as mercury drops below 17°C

Karachi is excited for winter amid a mercury drop to 16.5 degrees Celsius - the lowest of the current season so far - the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said Wednesday morning.

As per the PMD, said the lowest temperature was recorded at 16.5°C during the last 24 hours.

It said the weather is likely to remain dry with slight fog during the next 24 hours. The mercury may drop to 17°C-19°C in this duration while the highest temperature may be recorded at 31°-33°C.

The Met department recorded humidity level at 66% and said that northeastern winds are blowing at a slow pace.

Pakistan's overall weather outlook 

Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country during the next twelve hours, while foggy conditions are likely to prevail in plain districts of Punjab in morning hours, Radio Pakistan reported Wednesday morning.

A lower-than-normal air pressure and weak La Nina situation is expected to prevail in the country, said Met department's outlook for the remaining two months. 

It stated that overall, a tendency for normal to below-normal precipitation is likely over the country with maximum negative departure over northern half.

Northern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan may receive below normal precipitation whereas southern Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh are expected to receive nearly normal precipitation during the forecast season.

"The temperatures are expected to remain above normal over northern parts of the country, slightly above normal over western to south-western parts and nearly normal over eastern parts with a tendency towards below normal night time temperatures over south western parts during the forecast season," the outlook document stated.

Impact

• The temperatures are expected to decrease gradually during the forecast season.
• Dry condition during the start of the season will be favourable for harvesting of kharif crops in the country. However, the Rabi crops especially “wheat” would be required to irrigate at regular intervals for a healthier growth at initial/vegetative stages.
• Dry condition will have negative impact on air quality index in urban (southern and central Punjab) areas of the country.
• Dust raising winds will also start in southern parts of the Punjab, upper Sindh.