HYDERABAD: An around 30-minute spell of monsoon rainfall on late Thursday night broke the long dry spell people of the district, like other parts of the province, had been experiencing for several weeks.

Met department’s airport office recorded 24mm of rainfall while its Hyderabad (city) office recorded 19mm rainfall.

Weather conditions since early June had remained oppressive and unbearable for people. Friday’s maximum temperature was recorded at 41 degrees Centigrade before rainfall which dropped to 37.5 after the rain, the Airport Met office observatory said. Humidity was recorded at 54pc.

The climatic conditions improved a bit since Thursday night as suffocating condition no longer existed.

Power breakdowns occurred with start of the rainfall as usual. Electricity supply to some areas was restored in the morning and some other areas in the afternoon.

Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz attributed the suffocating climatic conditions that persisted till Thursday night to the high percentage of humidity. According to him, the fresh spell of rain was impressive.

He predicts that another one or two such spells could not be ruled out in Hyderabad on Saturday and Sunday because low pressure area still persisted over northeast of Arabian Sea, i.e. in the southeast of southern Sindh.

“When percentage of humidity in atmosphere goes high, the heat index will be more than actual temperature,” he said while describing it a disadvantage feature of monsoon. He said that these humid conditions were usually witnessed in monsoon across Pakistan.

“When human body’s temperature exceeds 36 or 37 degrees centigrade, people start sweating profusely as a natural process to cool off the body. But as air has thick moisture, it gets heavier and resultantly doesn’t absorb sweating. So, with real feel of temperature is always more than actual temperature for people,” he explained.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2024