KARACHI, April 7: Dusty winds blew across the city on Thursday making the weather dry and creating difficulty for asthmatic patients in breathing. “The change in the atmosphere is a common phenomenon as it happens almost every year when the weather changes. It may prevail for the next 24 hours or so”, Chief Meteorologist Karachi Arif Mehmood told Dawn.

He said that the velocity of wind was also a little bit fast as the north-westerly winds blew across the city with a velocity of 15-20 nautical miles per hour. Due to the dusty winds, the visibility became low to 0.5km, he added.

Mr Mehmood said that the intensity in the temperatures, however, decreased as the maximum temperature was recorded at 35 degrees Celsius. The met officials said that the lowest temperature was 25 degrees Celsius and the humidity in the air was as low as five per cent.

Head of the department of chest medicines in the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Dr Nadeem Rizvi said that asthmatic patients were usually in trouble due to this dusty weather. “If asthmatic patients and those suffering from chronic bronchitis do not take precautions, they may suffer attacks”, he warned.

Dr Rizvi advised the asthmatics to wear helmets while on motorbikes, roll up windowpanes while in cars, and wear their faces while walking to avoid inhaling dust. A common person could also suffer from dusty weather and could make sneezes. Such a person should take anti-allergic medicine after consulting a doctor.