Karachi shivers as icy Siberian winds sweep city

Mercury drops to 7.4 degrees Celsius at Bin Qasim, 0.5 Celsius in Mohenjo Daro

KARACHI:

Karachi residents were left shivering on Friday as icy Siberian winds swept across the city at maximum velocity of 44 kilometres per hour, driving temperatures down sharply.

Compared to the previous day, the minimum temperature fell by three degrees while the maximum temperature dropped by nearly six. At the official weather station in Pehlwan Goth, the lowest reading was 10.5 Celsius, while Bin Qasim recorded the chilliest figure at 7.4.

In northern Sindh, Mohenjo Daro endured an even harsher freeze with the mercury dipping to 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists warned that strong gusts could intensify over the weekend, with wind speed expected to climb as high as 55 kilometres per hour. The current cold wave, they noted, is being fueled by northwesterly winds blowing in from Quetta after a western disturbance brought light to moderate showers earlier in the week. This system has made the chill feel more severe than the last cold spell.

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Across Karachi, temperatures varied from station to station. Jinnah Terminal and Gulistan-e-Johar stations registered 10.5 Celsius, Shahrah-e-Faisal 11.5, and Mauripur station recorded 8.5 degrees Celsius.

PMD confirmed that the current cold spell has not broken any previous records. Karachi’s coldest ever weather was recorded as zero degrees Celsius in 1934, followed by 1.3 degrees Celsius in 1986, 6.5 in 2014, 5.6 in 2020, and between 6.2 and 8 degrees Celsius in January 2025.

Looking ahead, PMD has announced that another western weather system will enter Pakistan on Sunday. Under its influence, districts in upper Sindh such as Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, and Dadu are likely to receive rain and thunderstorms on Monday. Karachi, however, is not expected to receive rainfall.

In Balochistan, rain accompanied by strong winds is likely in Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Khuzdar, Gwadar, Turbat, and other districts, while snowfall is forecast for the northern highlands.