Karachi’s Feels-Like Temperature Peaks at 54°C Amid 79% Humidity as PMD Heatwave Warning Extends Across Sindh Until June 12

Karachi endured a punishing Thursday as its apparent temperature — the heat experienced by the human body after accounting for humidity — climbed to 54 degrees Celsius by 3pm, even though the city’s actual maximum temperature registered at 37.4°C, according to official data published by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The sharp difference between the recorded and felt temperatures is driven by the city’s unusually high moisture levels. Relative humidity stood at 79 per cent in the morning before easing to 65 per cent by evening — levels that dramatically reduce the body’s ability to cool itself through perspiration. The heat index rose steadily from 49°C at 1pm before peaking at 54°C two hours later, while the overnight minimum held at 30°C, offering residents little relief even after sundown.

The extreme conditions extended well beyond Karachi. Across Sindh, Jacobabad registered the province’s highest actual temperature at 49.5°C, followed by Dadu at 49°C and both Paddidan and Sukkur at 47°C. Mohenjo Daro, Larkana, and Shaheed Benazirabad each recorded 46.5°C, while Rohri, Khairpur, and Sakrand logged 46°C, 45.5°C, and 45°C respectively — painting a picture of a province under uniform and severe thermal stress.

The PMD had already placed several regions under a formal heatwave alert the previous week, with the warning period running through June 12. Health authorities have urged children, women, and elderly residents to take extra care, avoid direct sun exposure between 10am and 4pm, and maintain adequate hydration throughout the day.

Karachi’s coastal geography, which normally moderates summer temperatures through sea breezes, has offered limited protection this cycle. When high humidity coincides with a high-pressure heat system, the sea air carries moisture rather than relief — making the city feel significantly hotter than its thermometer reading suggests, a pattern that public health officials warn is becoming more frequent during Pakistan’s summer months.