KARACHI: Residents of Karachi and several other districts across Sindh were caught off guard on Wednesday morning as cold, dry northeastern winds intensified, bringing a surprising chill to the air in the middle of March. People were once again seen wrapped in jackets, sweaters, and warm clothes as temperatures dropped unexpectedly.
However, by mid-day, the rising sun brought relief, pushing temperatures past 30°C — leaving many, especially schoolchildren, struggling with their choice of warm attire.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Karachi’s minimum temperature was recorded at 13.1°C — considerably lower than the March average of 19.4°C. The city also experienced extremely dry conditions, with humidity levels dropping to just 13% in the morning and only slightly increasing to 14% as the temperature peaked at 31.7°C.
The cold wave extended to other districts in Sindh, where Mithi and Mohenjo-Daro recorded the lowest temperature of 3°C. Sukkur and Nawabshah followed with 7°C, Dadu saw 8°C, while Hyderabad recorded a minimum of 14°C.
The PMD has forecasted that Karachi and most parts of Sindh will continue to experience dry and gusty winds on Thursday (today).
Warmer Days Expected Ahead
Meteorologist Anjum Nazeer Zaigham highlighted that Karachi’s record lowest temperature for March was 7°C, recorded on March 3, 1979. Last year, the lowest March temperature stood at 11.1°C.
He warned that the current cold spell would soon give way to warmer weather as temperatures are expected to gradually rise in the coming days. This sudden shift in Karachi’s weather is linked to rain and snowfall in various parts of the country, particularly in Balochistan. Areas like Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Saranan, Gulistan, Huramzai, Muslim Bagh, Sinjawi, Duki, Harnai, Loralai, Mekhtar, and Khanozai have all experienced rain and snow, contributing to the changing weather pattern in Sindh.
