KARACHI, May 17: The scorching summer sun continued to bake upper Sindh areas for the second day on Friday with the mercury shooting to 50 degrees Celsius in Larkana and Jacobabad, said a Met official.

The official told Dawn on Friday that weather was expected to remain mostly hot and dry in the province on Saturday as well.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Larkana was 52.7 degrees Celsius which occurred on May 31, 1998 while the hottest day in Jacobabad so far was experienced on May 27, 1998 when the mercury touched 51.9 degrees Celsius.

Closely following the two towns was Moenjodaro, located a few kilometres from Larkana, where the mercury touched the mark of 49.5 degrees Celsius on Friday, he said.

He said the maximum temperature recorded in Dadu was 48.3 degrees Celsius. The temperature in both Sukkur and Rohri, located on the opposite banks of the Indus river, was 48 degrees Celsius.

Temperature in other towns of the province was: Padidan 47.5 degrees Celsius; Nawabshah 47 degrees Celsius; Hyderabad 45.5 degrees Celsius; Chhore 43.2 degrees Celsius; Mithi 43 degrees Celsius; Mirpurkhas 42.5 degrees Celsius; Badin 42 degrees Celsius and Thatta 38 degrees Celsius.

The weather in the provincial capital remained relatively pleasant on Friday with the maximum temperature recorded at 36 degrees Celsius, minimum temperature at 26.7 degrees Celsius and humidity — moisture in the air — 54 per cent.

The weather was expected to remain hot and humid with the maximum temperature ranging between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius in the metropolis on Saturday, said the official.

Our Larkana correspondent adds: Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts gave the look of ghost towns with most roads and streets deserted and people waiting out the hottest day so far in the cosy environs of their homes.

Local Met office recorded temperature at 50.5 degrees Celsius in the two towns, which coupled with loadshedding during the day made people rush for cool rooms and cold drinks.

The Met office recorded only 10 per cent humidity with north-westerly and north-southerly winds on Friday.

Agriculture experts and farmers link rise in the temperature with acute shortage of irrigation water in the Indus and its canals.