Heatwave to persist till May’s end

Mercury soars to 42.8 degrees Celsius in city, 51 in Jacobabad

KARACHI:

The prevailing heat wave has restricted citizens to their homes, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the blazing heat will persist till the end of the month. The maximum temperature in the city was recorded at 42.8.

Separate units have been set up in the government hospitals. "There was not a single patient in our hospital," said Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center's Executive Director Dr Shahid Rasul. He said that he has already dedicated two extra wards with 25 beds for heatstroke patients. "We are fully prepared for any kind of emergency," he added.

Due to alerts issued by the government, most of the markets were seen empty. Despite the prevailing circumstances, power outages were reported from different localities, including densely populated areas like the old city.

"It is hell living in this situation without electricity," commented Salman Khatri, a resident of the old city area.

He said the majority of people living in congested flats without proper ventilation have been suffering a great deal. "Elderly persons and children are at risk," he said.

Alarm bells were sent ringing when K-Electric, the city's power utility, warned that load management would be necessary to combat the increased demand of electricity during the heat wave.

Communications Director and Spokesperson Imran Rana clarified that the current heat wave conditions across the country were driving a surge in electricity demand. "While K-Electric is undertaking all possible measures to manage the current situation, the company may have to resort to load management in some areas to bridge the gap between demand and supply, for which the inconvenience is sincerely regretted."

However, the utility is proactively communicating updates to customers via SMS, and has also uploaded the area wise load-shed schedule on the KE website for a ready reference.

The spokesperson further said that KE remains available to support customers around the clock via its call center 118, SMS service 8119, KE Live App, social media platforms, and KE WhatsApp Self-Service portal.

At the same time, the power utility strongly denied reports of unannounced load shedding in the city. The Pak Met Department declared April 2022 to be the hottest month on record in 61 years.

In a message to general public, Pakistan Disaster Management Authority Sindh has also cautioned them to take precautionary measures and not to leave home unnecessarily and increase consumption of water.

Other parts of Sindh

The highest temperature was recorded in Jacobabad at 51 degrees Celsius, while it was 50.5 in Nawabshah, 50 in Sukkur and 49 in Dadu, Larkana and Sakrand.

A person reportedly died of heatstroke in Jacobabad. The health department did not confirm these reports which suggested that the victim was a man identified as Pir Bux Mughal, 65.

A local resident told The Express Tribune that despite prevailing heat wave, the district administration had not taken precautionary measures to provide relief. Over 12 hours load shedding was reported from different towns of the province.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz said that the temperature will go down in the next two days. "However, the overall situation will continue till the end of the month," he warned.

He also cautioned that an increase rise in temperature was possible in the last week of the month. He advised citizens not to leave home unnecessarily and consume water frequently.

In an advisory issued earlier this week, the PMA also urged people to stay indoors and not leave their homes unnecessarily from 11am to 4pm. "People who must leave their homes for pressing tasks should try to take a shady path and avoid staying too long under the sun," the PMA statement said.

It added that those spending time outdoors under the sun for necessary work must cover their heads with a cap or wet handkerchief. "Those working in outdoor settings in daytime are further advised wear light shoes and desist from walking barefoot."

Advice was also given against taking part in outdoor sports during daylight. "People must wear light and soft clothes and strictly avoid cladding in black or dark colored clothes. Children and the elderly should be especially careful as they have low immunity and are at high risk to contract heatstroke."

The PMA advised citizens to eat freshly cooked food at home comprising of a balance diet with preferred consumption of vegetables, pulses, fruits and milk. Those who work outdoors or leave their homes for pressing work in daylight must consume more water and homemade drinks.

During the hot weather, it had been advised to consume 15 to 20 glasses of water or fresh juices a day. People must always use boiled water to prevent water borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, typhoid, hepatitis A and E.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2022.