climate
Up to 50 degrees – warning in Pakistan of dangerous heat
Vendors and rickshaw drivers sleep outdoors on a hot summer morning in Karachi. photo
© Fareed Khan/AP/dpa
Temperatures like in a “burning furnace”, no more people on the streets: In Pakistan, the extreme heat wave is likely to last until the end of the week. The authorities are issuing warnings.
In Pakistan, authorities on Friday warned of dangerous heat. In a speech on live television, Idrees Mehsud, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, urged people to stay at home and avoid the sun as much as possible.
Large parts of Pakistan are currently struggling with a heat wave that is expected to last until the end of the week. The city of Naukundi in the province of Baluchistan reached the highest measured value, where the thermometer climbed up to 50 degrees. “Streets and markets are completely empty during the day,” said a resident of the city in an interview with the German Press Agency. Another resident spoke of temperatures like in a “burning oven”.
In the capital Islamabad, where temperatures are also above 40 degrees, the municipal energy authority reported increased disruptions in the power grid due to the increased need for air conditioning.
High temperatures are not uncommon in many parts of Pakistan during the summer, but outright heat waves have been sweeping the country for several years. Experts blame climate change for the increasing number of extreme weather events in Pakistan.