Met Office on alert as mercury hits 40°C in Karachi

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) activated its Heatwave Early Warning Centre in Karachi on Monday after the mercury soared to 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in the city this year.

The Met Office said that the high temperature was caused under the influence of north-westerly winds from the direction of the country’s plains after the sea breeze remained completely halted during the morning and noon hours.

“The temperature soared to 40°C on Monday after the sea breeze came to a halt in Karachi, while the humidity rose to 73 per cent in the morning,” a PMD official told The News. With the increase in the temperature, the PMD formally activated its Heatwave Early Warning Centre, which will remain functional until October 31. It will inform the city about the weather situation on a daily basis and warn of an oncoming heatwave at least three days in advance.

The PMD had forecast a sharp rise in the city’s temperature starting Friday and it was to last until Monday, after which the weather is expected to improve due to the resumption of the sea breeze.

“We predict the temperature to remain between 36°C and 38°C on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the maximum temperature will drop further and be between 35°C and 37°C,” said an official, adding that the sea breeze towards Karachi will resume on Tuesday and bring respite to the city.

The Met Office said that this year will be an extremely warm year in the known human history like the previous four years due to the prevailing environmental and climatic conditions around the world.

Experts in Karachi say that the people should be well prepared for hot and dry and sometimes hot and humid conditions in the months ahead, especially in the months of May and June, as the authorities have not paid any attention to the decreasing vegetation in the city to help prevent the adverse effects of global warming.

Hundreds of residents of Karachi were killed due to a severe heatwave in June 2015, when a majority of them were fasting during Ramazan amid electricity and water crises.

“People will have to remain alert between April and June, as the temperature has started rising and May and June will be very hot,” said a Met Office expert, adding that Ramazan will also be observed in May, when the summer season will be at its peak.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has directed its health department to prepare a contingency plan in case of a heatwave and asked all the heads of the KMC-run hospitals to appoint focal persons who will be responsible for making arrangements in case of an emergency. Dr Birbal Genani, senior director health and medical services of KMC, explained earlier that the corporation had asked its hospitals to remain prepared for any situation.