MOHENJO DARO: Sindh on Monday recorded a temperature of over 52°C (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit), making it the highest reading of the hot summer and close to the country's record amid the current heat wave, the Met Office said.
Extreme temperatures across Asia over the past month have likely worsened as a result of human-driven climate change, a team of international scientists said.
In Mohenjo Daro, temperatures rose as high as 52.2°C (126°F) in the past 24 hours, said Shahid Abbas, a senior official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Reuters.
The reading is the highest of the summer so far and approached the city's and national record highs of 53.5°C (128.3°F) and 54°C (129.2°F), respectively. .
Mohenjo Daro is a small town that experiences extremely hot summers and mild winters and little rainfall, but its limited markets, which include bakeries, tea shops, mechanics, electronic repair shops, and fruit and vegetable sellers, are often packed with customers.
But with the current heat wave, the stores see almost no influx of public.
“Customers are not coming to the restaurant because of the extreme heat. I sit in the restaurant doing nothing with these tables and chairs and no customers,” Wajid Ali, 32, owner of a tea stall in the city.
“I bathe several times a day, which gives me some relief. Also, there is no electricity. The heat has made us very worried.”
Near Ali's workshop is an electronics repair shop run by Abdul Khaliq, 30, who sat working with the blinds half closed to protect himself from the sun. Khaliq also complained about the heat affecting businesses.
Local doctor Mushtaq Ahmed added that locals have adapted to living in extreme weather conditions and prefer to stay indoors or near water.
The highest temperature recorded in the country was in 2017, when temperatures rose to 54°C (129.2°F) in the city of Turbat, located in the southwestern province of Balochistan. It was the second hottest in Asia and the fourth highest in the world, said PMD chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz.
The heat wave will subside in Mohenjo Daro and surrounding areas, but another heat wave is expected to affect other areas of the province, including Karachi.
