Karachi sees coldest morning in 10 years

Met office forecasts chilly season will continue till March

KARACHI:

A new year, a new beginning, a new morning - the coldest morning in 10 years.

This was what Karachi experienced on the first day of 2021.

The temperature dropped to 5.6 degrees Celsius on Friday morning, under the effect of a westerly weather system, in the metropolis, breaking a 10-year record of the city's temperature falling to seven degrees Celsius in the January of 2011.

Prior to that, it was in January 2008 that the temperature had dropped below 5.6 degrees Celsius in the port city.

Besides, Met Office data comparing the minimum temperature recorded in January over the last 10 year shows that from seven degrees Celsius in 2011, it rose to 8.5 the next year, only to drop to 7.5 in 2013 and further falling to 6.5 degrees in 2014, until it made a significant rise again to touch 9.5 degrees in 2015. It increased by another degree to touch 10.5 degrees Celsius in 2016 and dropped again to 9.5 degrees Celsius the next year.

In 2018, the lowest temperature in January was recorded at 9.6 degrees Celisus – increasing a notch above from that preceding year - in 2019, at nine degrees Celsius and it dropped to seven degrees Celsius in 2020, further plunging to 5.6 degrees Celsius yesterday (Friday).

And as the city grapples with a rare cold wave, the Met Office has forecast that it will likely last longer than expected.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) spokesperson Khalid Malik, the ongoing cold wave can continue well into the first couple of days of March.

Explaining the reason behind this rare occurrence of a long winter in Karachi, he the occurrence of La Nina – a weather pattern that causes a decline in the temperature of the surface of the sea - in the centre of the Pacific Ocean is responsible for the longer than usual winter season.

As it continues to intensify, the chances winter rains in the country also decrease, albeit the weather pattern likely to cause multiple cold snaps, he said.

During the ongoing one, thePMD has predicted, that minimum temperature during a day will continue to below 10 degrees Celsius until January.

It will then begin to rise gradually, but will not rise past 12 degrees Celsius in the days to come, according to the PMD forecast.

Weather update

While cold and dry weather is expected to persist in the city, minimum temperature is expected to remain between six degrees Celsius and eight degrees Celsius today (Saturday).

On Friday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 24.5 degrees Celsius and the humidity level, which was 46 per cent in the morning, dropped to nine per cent in the evening. Meanwhile, winds from the Northeast continued to blow at 20 kilometres per hour.

The good and bad Citizens in Karachi, where on the one hand, are pleasantly surprised by the long stay of winter this time around, the chilly season has added to the troubles of those belonging to low-income backgrounds on the other hand.

Hence, while some treat themselves with warm delicacies and beverages, huddled under blankets and warm clothes, others travelling in public transport, particularly windowless buses, find themselves at a disadvantage, not having enough protection against cold gales.

Yet, some others are terrified, believing that the coronavirus transmits faster inwinter.