KARACHI – A fierce cold wave powered by icy Siberian winds has gripped the provincial capital, causing temperatures to plummet and severely disrupting flight schedules at Jinnah International Airport.
Temperature Drop and Record Lows
The city felt the full force of the winter chill as the minimum temperature dropped by 3°C compared to the previous day, while the maximum temperature saw a sharp decline of 5.8°C. The official weather station recorded a minimum of 10.5°C on Friday, while temperatures dropped further to a chilling 6.5°C at Jinnah Terminal early Saturday morning. Bin Qasim recorded 7.4°C, and interior Sindh’s Mohenjo-daro remained the coldest spot in the province with a freezing 0.5°C. Weather experts predict that high-speed winds reaching up to 55 km/h will continue to lash the city today, keeping the “feel-like” temperature significantly lower.
Flight Operations Grounded
Extreme weather conditions and poor visibility due to fog have wreaked havoc on flight schedules. Several domestic and international flights were either canceled or faced massive delays. Multiple flights to Lahore (PF-141, PF-145, PK-306, PA-406), Islamabad (PA-208), Multan (PK-330), and Sukkur (PK-536) were canceled, along with an international flight to Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, PIA’s flights to Islamabad, Skardu, and Gwadar faced delays ranging from 3.5 to 5 hours, while private airlines heading to Peshawar and Islamabad reported delays of up to 6 hours.
Forecast: More Cold Ahead
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) indicates that the current cold wave is likely to persist until the end of January. While a new Western Disturbance is expected to enter the country on January 25, bringing rain to Upper Sindh and Balochistan on January 26, Karachi is unlikely to receive any rainfall from this system. However, the city will remain under the influence of strong winds exceeding 50 km/h over the next 48 hours.
