KARACHI: The districts in lower Sindh including Karachi remained under the influence of prevailing cyclonic storm Tauktae on Monday and experienced another very hot and dry day.

The mercury rose to 43.5 degrees Celsius in Karachi.

The Met department has forecast very hot and dry weather with gusty winds continuing in Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Thatta districts till tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.

Gusty winds, it said, might affect orchards in these districts.

“Lower Sindh will likely have the same weather conditions as the storm will move further north-eastward. Today, Karachi and Mithi had the same temperature,” said Sardar Sarfaraz of the Met department.

The storm had started dissipating and weather in lower Sindh would improve by Wednesday as the sea breeze blocked by the storm would resume, he added.

According to the Met officials, the highest ever maximum temperature in the month of May is 47.8 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in 1938.

Over the last decade, the highest recorded maximum temperature is 46 degrees Celsius recorded in 2015.

“The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae has tracked northward at a speed of 15km/h during last the 12 hours and lay centred at a distance of about 580km south of Thatta and 650km south-southeast of Karachi. The maximum sustained winds around the system’s centre were 180-200km/h gusting 220km/h,” stated the department’s advisory posted on its website at 9pm.

The system, it said, was likely to move further northward for some time then re-curve towards northeast and cross the Indian state of Gujarat.

“None of Pakistan’s coastal area is under threat. However, under its influence, dust/thunderstorm/rain with few moderate to heavy falls and gusty winds of 40-60km/h are likely to occur in Tharparkar and Umerkot districts [and] at isolated places in Badin and Sanghar districts during the next 36 hours.”

Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough and fishermen of Sindh are advised to suspend their activities till May 19.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2021