KARACHI: Rejecting social media speculations about an incoming heatwave, the Met department has stated that daytime temperatures may, however, rise to 32-34 degrees Celsius in the city between Feb 17 and 18.

The department recorded 15 degrees Celsius and 32.5 degrees Celsius as the minimum and maximum temperature, respectively, on Thursday in the city.

“What’s being experienced in the southern parts of Sindh right now is an extension of the warm weather conditions currently prevailing in India’s Rajasthan,” explained chief meteorologist Dr S. Sarfaraz, adding that brief episodes of warm weather couldn’t be categorised as a heatwave.

According to him, there is no specific definition of a heatwave as the phenomenon varied from region to region.

“What we can say generally is that a heatwave occurs when the temperature remains above five degrees Celsius than the average [maximum] temperature of the month for at least five consecutive days. Having said this, there is no doubt that the weather is getting warmer every year worldwide.”

According to the department’s advisory, warm weather with misty mornings is likely to prevail over southern Sindh with maximum temperature ranging between 36-38 degrees Celsius in Tharparkar, Badin and Umerkot districts during the next three days.

Cool nights and misty mornings are forecast in the province elsewhere.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023