ISLAMABAD: Temperatures in central and southern Pakistan may surge to 50°C this week, nearing the global record for the highest temperature ever recorded in April, as per a report by American newspaper The Washington Post.
The warning comes amid increasingly unpredictable climate patterns across South Asia, with several cities in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province such as Karachi experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years— a trend that climate experts attribute to broader shifts caused by global warming.
The situation underscores rising concerns over Pakistan’s preparedness for extreme weather events amid growing calls for stronger climate adaptation policies, increased tree cover in urban areas and more effective public awareness campaigns.
“Temperatures in central and southern Pakistan rose to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (47.8°C) last weekend and are forecast to climb through Wednesday, possibly nearing the global April record of 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50°C),” The Washington Post said in a report.
“Heat will build across the Middle East and South Asia through the week, with Wednesday and Thursday looking like the hottest days for Pakistan.”
It added that Sindh’s Nawabshah city had reached the 50°C mark back in April 2018 and could repeat the same this week. Nawabshah recorded a temperature of 50.2°C back then and set a new global record for the highest temperature ever observed in April.
The report said “a sprawling dome of high pressure like a heavy lid trapping heat in a pot” was causing the current heat wave, stretching from the Middle East to South Asia. It noted that this area experiences the Earth’s most unusually warm temperatures during April.
It quoted the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts as predicting the maximum temperature to remain around 50°C in central Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Temperatures have been more than 4 degrees above average in Pakistan so far this April, even before the arrival of this week’s potentially record-breaking heat,” it added.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events from deadly heatwaves to devastating floods.
The 2015 heatwave claimed over 2,000 lives in Karachi alone while the 2022 floods left more than 1,700 dead and over 33 million displaced nationwide.
