Karachi sizzles as mercury touches 39.5 °C

A complete halt in sea breeze turned weather in Karachi extremely hot on Saturday as mercury rose to 39.5 degrees Celsius in the city under the influence of hot and dry winds coming from the plains of the country.According to officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the hot weather in the city is likely to continue on Sunday (today) as well.“Today [Saturday] was the warmest day of 2019 in Karachi with mercury rising to 39.5 degrees Celsius,” an official of Met Office in Karachi said, adding that humidity also dropped to less than 10 per cent, which increased the feel of heat in the city.The Pakistan Meteorological Department had predicted a sharp rise in the temperatures in Karachi from Friday onwards, which was to last till Monday, after which the weather was expected to improve due to the resumption of sea breeze.The humidity level is expected to remain low on Sunday (today). Met Office officials believe that mercury may rise up to as high as 40 degrees Celsius due to halt in sea breeze.“We have given the temperature range between 37 to 39 degrees Celsius for Sunday in Karachi but the temperature could touch the 40 degrees mark due to drop in humidity and absence of sea breeze in the daytime,” an official said, adding that situation would improve around sunset as sea breeze would resume by then.Weather pundits are predicting that 2019 would be an extremely warm year in the known history of mankind but some officials claim that it could be the warmest year ever recorded in the history due to prevailing environmental and climatic conditions in the world.Experts in Karachi said citizens should be well prepared for hot and dry and sometimes hot and humid conditions in the months ahead, especially in the months of May and June as the authorities have not paid attention to the decreasing vegetation in the city that could help prevent adverse effects of global warming.Hundreds of the residents of Karachi were killed due to a severe heatwave in the city in June 2015 when a majority of them were fasting in Ramazan amidst electricity and water crisis in the city.“People would have to remain alert in the next three months – between April and June – as the temperature has started rising and the coming months of May and June would be very hot in Karachi,” an expert of the Met Office said, adding that Ramazan would also be observed in the month of May, when summer season would be at its peak.The Met Office has so far not issued any alert to the authorities regarding heatwaves; however, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has directed its health department to prepare a contingency plan in case of heatwaves and asked all the heads of the KMC-run hospitals to appoint focal persons who would be responsible for making arrangements in case of emergency.Dr Birbal Genani, senior director health and medical services KMC, earlier explained that the corporation had asked its hospitals to remain prepared for any heatwave like situation. “We would ensure that people are provided first aid in case of heatstroke so that no loss of life could take place in the days ahead,” he said.

from The News International - Karachi https://ift.tt/2WBAjY6