LARKANA/SUKKUR: In Larkana city and the surrounding small and large towns and villages, people braved a sharp decline in temperature and dense fog on Thursday, which affected normal life.

It was due to the severe cold and fog, visibility was reduced to a great extent, forcing and most of the citizens to remain confined to homes. On the other hand, attendance in government and private schools as well as offices remained thin.

The Sepco sources said that fog was recorded almost in its entire jurisdiction. Kashmore, Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Ubauro, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Kandiaro and Dadu falling in Sepco’s administrative control were reported to have affected by low visibility.

Passengers travelling between different cities faced serious difficulties. Suspension of electricity in most areas of the city added to the hardships of the residents.

The local Met office said that maximum temperature was recorded at 14.5 Celsius while the relative humidity was 83 per cent. The office predicted that the cold wave would continue till Jan 15 and might grip the adjoining parts of the district.

People rushed to buy second hand coats, sweaters, jackets etc., to help keep themselves safe from the freezing cold.

Interestingly, the cold wave started increasing after the winter vacation in schools were over, therefore the attendance in schools remained very thin.

Parents have urged the education department to announce the winter vacation in the light of expected cold days, considering the issue of climate change.

A sense fog has enveloped Kandhkot city and its surrounding areas for several days, disrupting domestic life and business activities while hours of power outages left citizens in deep distress.

For the fourth consecutive day, the fog in Kandhkot

and neighboring regions kept the transport system paralysed besides supply of electricity and gas.

Power that was cut off late at night was briefly restored after 1pm for only a few minutes, severely affecting household routines.

The fog has intensified the cold, badly hitting local trade and confining people to their homes.

Schoolchildren failed in attending their schools, leading to very low attendance while work in various government departments also remained affected.

The Met department has predicted that the foggy conditions and cold weather are likely to continue for a few more days.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2026