KARACHI: The hot weather conditions prevailing in the city might lose or increase their intensity depending on whether the system developing in the Arabian Sea turns into a cyclone, a Met department official said on Monday.

“It’s still developing, so we can’t be specific but if it does turn into an intense cyclone, it could either bring down or increase temperature in the city by trapping sea breeze,” said Sardar Sarfaraz, representing the Met department.

The department issued an alert on Monday morning according to which a well-marked low-pressure area in the East Arabian Sea has strengthened into a depression at a distance of about 1,500 kilometres south of Karachi.

“The system is likely to move initially north/northwest-ward and strengthen further into a tropical cyclone during the next 36 hours. Currently none of Pakistan’s coastal areas [are] under threat from this system,” it said.

Fishermen have been advised to remain alert and not to venture into the deep sea.

The maximum and minimum temperatures of the city were 36 and 28.5 degrees Celsius on Monday. Humidity was recorded 75 per cent and 62pc in the morning and evening, respectively. The department has forecast hot and humid weather.

“Monday was a bit of a relief because of cloudy weather. The weather being experienced these days is not unusual and Karachi has always been hot and humid in May and June,” said Mr Sarfaraz.

It because of high humidity levels in summer that is making people uncomfortable.

‘Feels like temperature’

“On windy days the speed of moisture evaporation from skin increases and serves to move heat away from our body, making it feel colder than it actually is. In warm weather with high humidity, the rate of evaporation and cooling is reduced, resulting in it feeling hotter than it actually is,” he said, describing the phenomenon as ‘feels like temperature’.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2019