A sharp drop in temperatures has left Karachi, the metropolis city of Pakistan, frozen. The mercury dipped to a chilly 9 degrees Celsius as icy winds brought by neighboring province Balochistan pushed the city’s weather into single digits, adding a piercing chill to the air.
What’s Behind Karachi’s Sudden Cold Spell?
However, it is worth saying that such a shocking and abrupt winters are quite shocking for Karachi itself, particularly when the tailwind blows from Balochistan. According to the Meteorological Department, northeast winds are blowing at a pace of 5 to 15 kilometers per hour. A minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius is being recorded meanwhile, but the feeling remained between 2-4 degrees after including the wind chill effect in which frosty bites increase.
The misty fog, typical of morning fogs, has characterized such fogs. This type of morning fog reduced visibility up to 3 kilometers. Misting icy winds combined with the cold mists to give hoveringly bitter mornings, making the environment unfriendly to all the residents. Therefore, they are now dressing warmly.
The Meteorological Department said that Karachi would remain cold and dry at least in the next 24 hours. The mercury might touch 26 degrees Celsius during the day but at night may drop to 8 degrees Celsius.
That is much less than the usual winter temperatures that occur in the city at night between 12-15 degrees Celsius.
Relaxed cold has brought many effects in the routine of daily life for Karachiites. More layers to wear and changing their daily routine is one pretty radical change cold weather has brought about:
1. Changes in Wardrobe
Karachiites are unpacking their winter clothes, which they do not usually require as winters are pretty mild in this city. Sweaters, jackets, shawls, and woolen caps are becoming must haves before stepping outdoors.
2. Health Issues
While the mercury continues to drop low, it rings alarm bells among health professionals and those with common cold, flu, and other seasonal diseases in avoiding the windy chill, for which they resort to good hygienic practice without those diseases.
3. Energy Demand
These will use electricity and gas for warming up because householders ultimately tend to use heaters and geysers. Such an alarming mounting quantity scares since a scarcity has started knocking on the door and city folks are facing troubles of consistency regarding supply as well.
4. Transport Problems
There is mist that brings the visibility of roads to road users mainly during the morning hours. They have to be careful since a driver should drive while using his fog lights. In that way they can be guaranteed safe thus comfortably move around.
How to Cope with the Coolness: The Case of Karachi
Most of the citizens are experiencing this temperature for the first time. Here are some tips on facing this cold wave safely and comfortably.
- Dress warmly. Layers trap the heat in and keep the wind chill out.
- Avoid stepping out and particularly during early morning and late evening.
- Hydrate. Drink warm liquids like tea, coffee or soup to feel warm from the inside.
- Use heaters properly. If an Electric or Gas heater is employed, then let it ventilated in proper means so any sort of mishappening could not be occurred there.
- Drive Precisely in the wet foggy time, use a Fog Light; keep enough gap before other’s cars.
Karachi Cold Weather Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why has Karachi become really cold this season?
Icy winds blowing from Balochistan. Because of that, the temperature has gone low in Karachi and that is why Karachi is experiencing one of the worst kinds of cold waves.
2. How long is the cold going to continue?
It has been said today that the dry weather due to cold has prevailed over Karachi for at least 24 more hours as issues by the Meteorological Department’s forecast. And it may worsen during the night when a cold wave would aggravate.
3. Lowest temperature ever seen in Karachi?
Karachi has seen the lowest temperature of 0 degrees Celsius on any day in January since 1934. Now, though this cold weather prevailing now is abnormal by all comparisons, this alone would not have been enough to become the record of any kind.
4. Is it going to be unsafe using the gas heaters on these days?
It is safe to use but with precautions. There should be proper ventilation so carbon monoxide does not build up. That is also dangerous.
5. Should the school gates be opened on such nippy days? The dates for the closure
of these schools haven’t been announced; however, kids need to be dressed warmly so parents are being met to get kids dressed up accordingly n
6. What must the old man carry in the present day date?
He must not step out from house, cannot wear woolies, cannot be given hot fluids. Shouldn’t step out from house during gust as he catches bronchitis easily from there.
Now is the time when all those residents of this overcrowded metropolis can have their “proper winter” because it can barely be seen, such a drop in temperature within such a short time, by people of Karachi. There is full flood of posts across various media of the social channels from those persons who are narrating both fun and their tough moments while tolerating the cold snaps.
While most others get irritated by the same, from whatever angle no matter if viewed, whichever end from where one would, be it would certainly be looked at that it sure can surely say Karachi finally reveals its winter wear.
A warmish wave of winds from Balochistan, it seems, has made winters here in Karachi absolutely bone chilling. Dropping into single digit temperatures, further brought low by the biting wind chill, people are slowly adjusting to this sudden change.
It is that time when this city is getting ready for a spell to become even chillier and drier in the coming days. Be it apt dressing or proper precautions on roads covered with smog or stuff similar, little efforts would just make the situation right as assured of being perfectly safe and well during these unusually winter times when Karachi feels at such extremes.
Here are more Karachi weather updates.
Warm with safety be your word all along.
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