Scorching heat, power outages leave people scrambling

HYDERABAD:

Residents opted to stayed home with volume on roads and markets thin amid soaring temperatures that stayed at or around 40 degrees Celsius in Hyderabad on Friday, with the met department forecasting 41 degrees Celsius for Saturday.

The situation was worsened by prolonged power outages, with most areas reporting disruptions lasting up to eight ten hours. In areas on the periphery of the city, residents say Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) is providing electricity for 12 hours only. The humidity in the air was 28 percent during the day and 31 percent during the evening, making the situation worse. According to weather sites, a heatwave is predicted in the coming week, with the mercury to be around the 45 degrees Celsius mark.

The sun shone intensely on Friday with humidity adding to the sweltering situation. Most people opted to stay at home while those who stepped out took necessary precautions like head covering and water supply.

As the day cooled, the footfall increased in markets and on the roads.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said a western wind system would enter Balochistan on Saturday and light rain and drizzle was expected in various district of Sindh.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2023.