City experience hottest night as heatwave continues

Hot and humid weather likely to persist with chances drizzle

KARACHI:

The grueling summer heat persists in the metropolitan city as Thursday marked the third hottest night of the month of July with the mercury hitting a minimum of 32 degrees Celsius. The delay in sea breeze due to low air pressure further exacerbated the situation.

On Ashura, the city experienced conditions reminiscent of the 2015 killer heatwave, with temperatures soaring.

The heat index peaked at 56 degrees Celsius, aggravated by high humidity levels.

This Thursday, the city recorded its third hottest night in May, matching the minimum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius seen on July 17 and July 1 earlier this month. According to the Pakistan Meteorology Department (PMD), the minimum temperatures in July 2021 and 2022 had peaked at 31 degrees Celsius.

The city baked from morning until afternoon on Thursday. However, relief began in the form of sea breeze around 2pm, blowing at a speed of up to 21 kilometres per hour. Earlier on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura), the metropolis faced extremely hot wetwith a maximum temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius and humidity steady at 50%, resulting in a scorching heat index of 56 degrees Celsius. Residents endured significant discomfort due to the severe congestion in the city.

The unusual heatwave suppressed the usual sea breeze from the southwest, while hot and humid north-easterly winds from Balochistan exacerbated the conditions in the teeming megalopolis of 25 million.