Boil.” Pakistan, with the mercury exceeding 52 degrees Celsius in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. The temperature is approaching the record highest temperature nationwide amid a heat wave, the weather service said.
In Mohenjo Daro, a city in the province of Sindh known for its archaeological sites, the mercury rose to 52.2 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hoursas a senior Pakistan Meteorological Service official, Shahid Abbas, told Reuters.
The highest temperature of the season
This measurement is the highest of the season so far and is approaching the city and country record of 53.5 degrees Celsius and 54 degrees Celsius respectively.
Mohenjo Daro is a small town that has very hot summers and mild winters, combined with little rainfall, but the few shops it has are usually full of customers.
However, due to the heat wave, the stores are almost empty.
“Customers don’t come to the restaurant because of the extreme heat. I am sitting in the restaurant with these tables and chairs and no customers,” said Wajid Ali, 32, owner of a tea shop in the city.
“I shower several times a day, which gives me some relief. Plus, we don’t have electricity. The heat made us very uncomfortable.”
Near Ali’s store is an appliance repair shop run by Abdul Khaliq. The 30-year-old man works with the store’s shutters almost closed to protect himself from the sun.
Adaptation to extreme weather conditions
In turn, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed highlights that local residents have adapted to extreme weather conditions and prefer to stay in their homes or near places that have water.
“Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change. We saw rains, floods beyond normal,” said Rubina Khurshid Alam, coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Office for Climate, during a press conference on Friday, highlighting that the government is carrying out awareness campaigns due to the waves of heat.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan occurred in 2017, when the mercury reached 54 degrees Celsius in the city of Turbat in the southwestern province of Balochistan. It is the second-hottest temperature in Asia and the fourth-hottest in the world, said Sardar Sarfaraz, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Service.
Sources: AMPE, Reuters