Temperatures soared above 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh, marking the highest reading of the summer and nearing the country’s all-time record amid an ongoing heatwave, the Meteorological Department reported on Monday.
Extreme temperatures across Asia in recent months have been exacerbated by human-driven climate change, according to a team of international scientists. In the town of Mohenjo Daro, renowned for its archaeological sites dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization of 2500 BC, temperatures reached a blistering 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past 24 hours, reported Shahid Abbas, a senior official from the Pakistan Meteorological Department to Media.
This temperature is the highest recorded this summer and approaches the town’s and country’s record highs of 53.5 degrees Celsius (128.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and 54 degrees Celsius (129.2 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively.
Mohenjo Daro, a small town accustomed to extremely hot summers, mild winters, and low rainfall, typically boasts bustling markets with bakeries, tea shops, mechanics, electronic repair shops, and fruit and vegetable sellers. However, the current heatwave has led to a significant decline in business activity, with shops seeing almost no footfall.
In Karachi on May 27, 2024, a vendor sliced a piece from an ice block for a customer on a hot summer noon. “Customers are not coming to the restaurant because of the extreme heat. I sit idle at the restaurant with tables and chairs but no customers,” lamented Wajid Ali, 32, a tea stall owner in Mohenjo Daro. “I take several baths a day for some relief. There’s no power, and the heat is unbearable.”
Nearby, Abdul Khaliq, 30, an electronic repair shop owner, worked with the shop’s shutter half-closed to shield himself from the sun. He too complained about the heat’s impact on his business.
Local doctor Mushtaq Ahmed noted that residents have adapted to the extreme weather, preferring to stay indoors or near water. “Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change. We have witnessed above-normal rains and floods,” stated Rubina Khursheed Alam, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate, at a news conference on Friday. She added that the government is running awareness campaigns to address the heatwaves.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan was 54 degrees Celsius (129.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Turbat, Balochistan, in 2017, making it the second hottest temperature in Asia and the fourth highest in the world, said Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
While the current heatwave is expected to subside in Mohenjo Daro and surrounding areas, another spell is anticipated to hit other regions in Sindh, including Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.
