Karachi bakes at 44°C as hotter days still to come

At 44 degrees Celsius, Karachi was the second hottest city in Pakistan after Mithi on Sunday. Humidity dropped to as low as 7 per cent in the provincial capital under the influence of extremely dry and warm winds from the country’s plains, with the “feels like” temperature reaching 48°C.

However, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) warning, the temperature in the metropolis can rise by another degree at any time between Monday and Wednesday.

“Heat is concentrated at Karachi at the moment, and today the mercury soared to 44°C, but we are expecting it to hit 45°C during the next three days, as sea breeze is completely cut off due to small low pressure areas in the Arabian Sea,” PMD Director General Dr Ghulam Rasool told The News.

This is the third heatwave in Karachi so far this year, and the second time this month when the temperature reached 44°C. Previously, on May 3, the metropolis had braved similar hot and dry conditions due to suspension of sea breeze that keeps the city’s weather moderate and pleasant despite intense climate in the country’s plain areas.

The Met Office chief said the temperature of the Arabian Sea is on the rise due to climate change, and due to this, formation of low pressure areas have increased in the sea, which change the wind direction.

He added that these low pressure areas are the cause of the cutting off of sea breeze towards the metropolis and the blowing of the north-westerly winds, which are warm and dry, and turn the city into a hot oven.

Tropical cyclone

“In addition to small low pressure areas in the Arabian Sea, there is another tropical cyclone brewing in the sea after Cyclone Sagar, which met its fate in the Gulf of Aden,” warned Dr Rasool.

“We are keeping a close eye on the situation of cyclones in the Arabian Sea, and will let people know if it is worth reporting,” he said, adding that Karachi will have to face more of the hotter days in June as well.

“The next three days are very crucial for Karachi, as the temperature can reach 45°C at any time,” said the Met Office chief, and urged people to take precautionary measures. He advised them not to venture out during the day, wear light-coloured clothes and drink plenty of water during Sehar and Iftar timings to prevent dehydration.  

Safe at home

The city’s major roads and streets wore a deserted look until the evening on Sunday, as people preferred to remain safely indoors due to intensely hot and dry weather. No usual shopping activities were observed even before Iftar. “Nobody has come to buy even a single watermelon so far due to hot and dry weather today,” said a fruit vendor in Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s fruit market. “People are not stepping out of their shelters because of the heat and their fast.” Water, power cuts

Announced and unannounced electricity cuts continued in many parts of the metropolis despite the extremely hot and dry conditions, as the K-Electric failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to citizens despite the warnings issued by the PMD and several humanitarian organisations.

People in many areas of the city complained of prolonged electricity outages during the day, as two to three spells of load-shedding were carried out in different localities, depriving citizens of power for 10 to 12 hours.

Water shortages compounded the miseries of people in many parts of the city, including Lyari, Baldia Town, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Clifton and Defence, where people ran from one water hydrant to the other to meet their needs.

Precautions help

The city’s major hospitals and ambulance services said that no heatstroke or heat exhaustion patients were reported as being taken to any major health facility, as people preferred to remain indoors as a precautionary measure.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali confirmed that no patient of heatstroke or heat exhaustion was brought to her hospital’s emergency department, as people heeded to the heatwave warning. She urged them to follow the advisory for the next three days as well.

“Due to very low humidity in the air, chances of heatstroke and heat exhaustion become very low, while people also followed the advisories and preferred to remain indoors.” She urged the city administration to establish camps on roadsides and at filling stations, and make arrangements for cold water and first aid at these camps, saying that many people, including the elderly, women and children, do not fast and will need water during intensely hot and dry weather.

“Even those who fast may need water as well as require breaking their fast due to their deteriorating health condition during extremely hot weather,” she suggested.

High alert

Mayor Wasim Akhtar has once again put all hospitals running under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) as well as emergency ambulance services on high alert in view of the Met Office’s heatwave forecast, adds our correspondent.

The hospitals and emergency ambulance services have been told to work round the clock during the heatwave, and the focal person at each of the health facilities has been ordered to submit a daily report to the senior director of the KMC’s Medical & Health Services.

Akhtar said that any negligence as regards the hot and dry weather conditions will not be tolerated. He told all doctors and paramedics to be on duty during the heatwave. He also expressed concern over the Met Office’s warning of three more extremely hot days.

The mayor requested the KE to refrain from unannounced load-shedding, as citizens are already enduring intensely hot weather. He also appealed to the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board to ensure adequate supply of the most essential commodity.