Karachi to become unbearably hot in coming years: report

KARACHI: The American University of Maryland has issued a significant prediction about Karachi’s future climate, highlighting an alarming increase in temperatures in the coming years.

Since 2015, Karachi has been experiencing record-breaking heat, with the city increasingly feeling the effects of climate change.

According to the university’s forecast, temperatures in Karachi are expected to rise by 3.3 percent in the near future.

The report further states that by 2080, temperatures may increase by five to six degrees in over four thousand cities worldwide.

Among the most affected cities of climate change in Pakistan are Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta.

Research indicates that Karachi’s summers are likely to become 18.2 percent drier, with winters five degrees hotter and only a 0.4% chance of rain. This report suggests that Karachi’s climate may soon resemble with Al-Bahah city of Saudi Arabia.

It is pertinent to mention here that the temperature in Karachi reached 40 degrees Celsius yesterday, with a heat index feeling over 50 degrees Celsius and the night of July 17 was recorded as the second hottest night of the year, following July 1.

The Meteorological Department reported that the average night temperature in July is 27.9 degrees Celsius.

However, on the night of July 17, the minimum temperature was recorded at 32 degrees Celsius, significantly higher than the usual average.