Mon 27 May 2024:

Temperatures in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh soared above 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit), marking the highest reading of the summer and nearing the country’s record high amid a persistent heatwave, the meteorological office reported on Monday.

International scientists attribute the extreme temperatures experienced throughout Asia over the past month to human-induced climate change.

In Mohenjo Daro, a town in Sindh famous for its archaeological sites dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization of 2500 BC, temperatures reached 52.2 C (126 F) in the last 24 hours, according to Shahid Abbas, a senior official of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

This temperature is the highest recorded this summer and is close to the town’s and the country’s record highs of 53.5 C (128.3 F) and 54 C (129.2 F), respectively.

“Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change. We’ve experienced above-normal rains and floods,” said Rubina Khursheed Alam, the prime minister’s coordinator on climate, during a news conference on Friday. She added that the government is conducting awareness campaigns in response to the heatwaves.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan was 54 C (129.2 F) in Turbat, Balochistan, in 2017, making it the second hottest in Asia and the fourth highest in the world, according to Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Although the heatwave will ease in Mohenjo Daro and surrounding areas, another heat spell is expected to affect other parts of Sindh, including Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.

Hundreds of people suffer heatstroke

Doctors treated hundreds of victims of heatstroke at hospitals across Pakistan on Thursday after an intense heat wave sent temperatures above normal levels due to climate change, officials said.

Authorities have urged people to stay indoors, hydrate and avoid unnecessary travel. But laborers say they don’t have a choice because they need to work to feed their families.

Doctors say they treated hundreds of patients in the eastern city of Lahore, while scores of people were brought to hospitals in Hyderabad, Larkana and Jacobabad districts in the southern Sindh province.

“The situation has been getting worse since yesterday, when people affected by heat started coming to hospitals in the Punjab province,” said Ghulam Farid, a senior health official. Pakistan has set up emergency response centers at hospitals to treat patients affected by the heat.

The state-run ambulance service is now carrying bottled water and ice to provide emergency treatment to victims of the heat, health officials said.

The meteorological department’s daily advisory forecasted “very hot” weather in most parts of Sindh, including Karachi, over the next 24 hours, along with “humid conditions” in the province’s coastal areas.

Daytime temperatures in the upper districts of Sindh are expected to remain six to eight degrees Celsius above normal during this period.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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