KARACHI: The city may face extreme weather conditions during the next three days when the mercury could soar up to 39 degrees Celsius due to the halt in sea breeze and change in wind direction, a Meteorological department official said on Friday.

“Today [Friday] we recorded the city’s temperature at 38 degrees Centigrade,” said Abdul Rasheed, director of Met office.

“The trend is likely to continue for the next two to three days and in the daytime the temperature could touch 39 degrees Centigrade. However, there is no threat of heatwave, neither any such advisory has been issued by the Met office. We keep all institutions concerned updated of the weather trend and the same is conveyed to all relevant authorities.”

He said the approaching summer was expected to be at the extreme side like the past four years. Last year, he said, the temperature in the last week of March was recorded at 40 degrees Centigrade, but in 2019 the weather remained normal during the same month.

Meanwhile, senior director of medical and health services department Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Dr Birbal Genani has directed the heads and medical superintendents of hospitals to prepare contingency plans to cater to expected heatstroke cases in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2019