Shaheed Benazirabad sizzles at 49°C

Shaheed Benazirabad on Saturday recorded the highest temperature at 49°C amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of the country, as the weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life.

The highest temperature on Saturday was 49°C in Shaheed Benazirabad, while Lahore recorded a high of 43.6°C and a low of 29.6°C. A heatwave persisted in the provincial capital, with temperatures reaching 43.6°C on Saturday.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast similar conditions for the next 24 hours.

Hot, humid and partly cloudy weather kept most residents indoors, leaving city roads deserted during the peak afternoon hours.

The city canal was the only bustling area, crowded with people seeking relief from the heat.

From Dharampura to Jallo, families gathered under the shade of trees and enjoyed the cool water.

The PMD reported that a shallow westerly wave was expected to impact the upper and western parts of the country and might continue for the next 24 hours.

The department predicted predominantly hot and dry weather in most areas, with very hot conditions and windstorms expected in central and southern regions.

However, isolated areas in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upper/central Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir might experience partly cloudy weather with rain and thunderstorms. Rainfall was recorded in Mirkhani, Kalam, Bannu, Drosh, and Kalat.