Cold wave grips Karachi for third day as temperatures dip to 6.5°C

A severe cold wave continued to grip Karachi and the rest of Sindh for a third consecutive day, with temperatures dropping further across the province, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Saturday.

In Karachi, the temperature fell by another two degrees in the morning, with the mercury recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius in some parts of the city. The lowest temperature was recorded at the Jinnah Terminal airport weather station, where it dropped to 6.5 degrees Celsius.

Weather stations across the city reported varying readings. Bin Qasim Town recorded 8.6 degrees, Gulistan-e-Johar 8.7, while Sharea Faisal and Mauripur saw minimum temperatures of 9.5 degrees Celsius.

Karachi residents were left shivering on Friday as icy Siberian winds swept across the city at a maximum speed of 44 kilometres per hour, sharply driving down temperatures. Compared to the previous day, the minimum temperature fell by three degrees, while the maximum dropped by nearly six degrees.

Also read: Karachi shivers as icy Siberian winds sweep city

At the official weather station in Pehlwan Goth, the lowest temperature was recorded at 10.5 degrees Celsius, while Bin Qasim remained the coldest area with a reading of 7.4 degrees.

In rural Sindh, the cold was even more intense. Mohenjo Daro recorded a minimum temperature of just 0.5 degrees Celsius, making it one of the coldest places in the province.

Meteorologists warned that strong cold winds are likely to continue over the weekend. “Today (Saturday), strong and cold winds are expected in Karachi, with wind speed possibly exceeding 55 kilometres per hour,” the PMD said.

The department said the ongoing cold wave could persist until the end of the month, with temperatures likely to fall into single digits on several occasions. The current spell is being driven by northwesterly winds entering from Quetta after a western disturbance brought light to moderate rain earlier in the week, making the cold feel more severe than the previous spell.

Looking ahead, the PMD said a new western weather system will enter the country on January 25. Under its influence, upper Sindh districts, including Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad and Dadu, are expected to receive rain accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds on January 26.

The same system may cause rain and snowfall in different parts of Balochistan, with snow expected over mountainous areas. However, the PMD clarified that there is currently no chance of rain in Karachi under the new system.

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