Karachi experiences another hot day

KARACHI: Weather remained hot in the city on Sunday for the third consecutive day as mercury hit 39° Celsius under the influence of dry and hot winds coming from the plains of Sindh and Balochistan.

According to meteorologists, temperatures in Karachi will also remain high on Monday (today) due to halt in sea breeze.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) blamed a low pressure area formed in the upper Sindh for changing the wind direction in Karachi and causing halt in the sea breeze which lets the coastal city cool off during the summers.

The PMD officials have predicted that the hot weather will persist till Tuesday (tomorrow) after which temperatures will drop with the restoration of sea breeze. The highest temperature is expected to range between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius on Monday and Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Met Office experts are keeping a close eye on the formation of a tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea. A low pressure area in the sea is expected to turn into a full-blown tropical cyclone within 36 hours. The cyclone, which has been named ‘Luban’, is expected to move in the north-westerly direction where it will likely hit coasts of Yemen and Oman in the following days. The meteorological authorities in the Arab countries, Pakistan, India and Iran are closely monitoring the development of cyclone to determine its track, the PMD officials said.

According to the experts, there are fewer chances that the cyclone will move towards Pakistani coasts. The Met Office will issue an advisory once the cyclone has been formed and its track determined.

Such tropical cyclones are formed in the Arabian Sea before and after the monsoon season, however, for the last few years, their frequency has increased due to the increase in temperatures of the sea because of climate change.

PMD Director General Dr Ghulam Rasool said in South Asia, such cyclones were mostly formed in the Bay of Bengal due to its higher temperatures but during the last few years, the Arabian Sea has become hotter due to which it is now a hotbed for cyclone formation.