Winters likely to get colder due to floods this year

Sindh, including Karachi, likely to witness more than usual cold

KARACHI:

Owing to torrential rains and floods, the province, including the metropolis, is likely to see unusual cold weather.

Waterlogging in swathes of Sindh will add to cold bringing the mercury further down in the southern province, otherwise known for mild winters.

During winter this year, the intensity of cold is expected to increase throughout Sindh, including Karachi, because of the recent monsoon rains and waterlogging in rural Sindh districts.

The weather in the city will start getting nippy and slightly cold from mid-November. A spell of westerly winds entering the country will cause winter rains to cause cold weather.

However, the weather will remain hot in the city in October due to the disturbance of air from Balochistan and sea breezes.

South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SACOF) has also indicated that recent rains and floods in Sindh will cause an increase in the severity of winter in the province.

It should be noted that Karachi’s winter officially kicks off in the middle of November. This year’s morning and evening temperatures are predicted to be lower than last year’s. However, the cold worsens and lasts until the first week of February. But in rural Sindh’s districts, the cold weather lasts through the end of February.

According to Chief Meteorologist Karachi Sardar Sarfaraz, winter in Sindh usually begins mid-November. However, the unprecedented rains of the monsoon season, and to a large extent, the heat of the land, have been converted to moderate temperatures by torrential rains. It can be said that this year’s winter is expected to be colder than the previous years. He said that it would not be possible to predict the temperature drop numerically ahead of time.

However, this situation will be more apparent in the first week of November. He said a conclusion could be drawn by comparing the October and early November temperatures.

He said that in the meeting of the South Asia Climate Outlook Forum held in the past few days, it had been indicated that it would be colder due to the flood situation in Sindh.

According to the Meteorological Department, the temperature is also expected to decrease due to a spell of western winds entering the country in winter and resulting in rain. Especially after the snowfall in the northwestern districts of Balochistan, icy winds can also reach the city, generally called the cold winds of Quetta or the Siberian winds.