KARACHI: Mercury further soared in the city and touched the 40-degree Celsius mark on Wednesday.

According to the Met department, weather is likely to be “hot to very hot” across the province in the coming days, particularly in the upper and central parts, with daytime temperature rising to 45-47°C from Thursday (today).

“Yet, this sizzling weather, brought about by dry, hot northwesterly winds, can’t be categorised as a heatwave,” said Chief Meteorologist Dr S. Sarfaraz. “For a heatwave, the daytime temperature needs to remain at least five degrees Celsius above the average temperature of the month,” he explained.

The average temperature of May was 36°C, he added.

According to him, May and June have been the hottest months of the year across the country for a long time.

However, he said that most parts of the country, especially the province of Sindh and south Punjab, would be hit by a heatwave after May 20 with daytime temperature rising to 48-50°C.

“The weather we are experiencing right now is brought about by a high pressure area currently building up in the upper atmosphere. This system would turn stronger after May 20,” he said.

The maximum temperature is likely to range between 37-39°C in the metropolis on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2024