LAHORE / KARACHI : Over 70 people were admitted with heatstroke complaints in different hospitals of Lahore on Tuesday as temperatures in seven cities of Sindh and Punjab remained over 50 degrees Celsius.

The sweltering heatwave will persist as the Meteorological Depar­t­­ment has forecast hot weather for Sindh and south Punjab today. Some areas are expected to receive rains with strong winds.

In Lahore, 72 citizens were admitted to public hospitals with heat stroke in the past 24 hours. These included 20 in Services Hospital, 15 in General Hospital, 18 in Mayo Hospital, 10 in Jinnah Hospital and nine in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

The weather remained hot and dry in Azad Kashmir and Punjab, with no rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours. The highest temperature was 50.1°C in Khanpur tehsil, and the lowest was 20.0°C in Murree.

Temperature crosses 50°C in seven Punjab, Sindh cities; pilgrims advised to take precautions during Haj

The Regional Meteorological Centre Lahore has issued a forecast for hot and dry weather in Punjab’s plains and southern districts.

According to the Punjab Provin­cial Disaster Management Auth­ority (PDMA) spokesperson, district administrations have been alerted to a severe heatwave situation in southern Punjab.

On Tuesday, six Sindh cities — Jacobabad, Dadu, Larkana, Mohe­njo Daro, Shaheed Benazirabad and Khairpur — reported temperatures over 50°C, a deviation of 5-8°C from their monthly average temperature.

The temperature in Sakrand, Sukkur, Rohri, Padidan, Tand­ojam, Hyderabad, Mithi, Chhor and Mirpurkhas hovered between 44 and 48°C. The mercury remained below 40°C in Badin, Karachi and Thatta.

A Met department’s advisory warned that heatwave is likely to persist in Karachi, Thatta, Badin and Sujawal districts tomorrow (Wednesday) till June 1, with maximum daytime temperatures ranging between 40 and 44°C.

Isolated showers

Isolated rain and windstorms are expected in Azad Kashmir, Islam­abad, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Naro­wal, Lahore, Jhang, Khushab, Sar­g­odha, Mianwali, Murree and Galyat.

Earlier, the PDMA issued an alert for rain and windstorms across the province from May 28 to June 1.

The PDMA forecast windstorms and rain in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum and Mandi Bahauddin. Isolated rainfall is also predicted in Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh and Jhang.

Punjab PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said there was a risk of damage to standing crops due to the storm, and farmers have been advised to take precautionary measures.

He said citizens should stay in safe places to avoid lightning and not go to open areas during the storm.

Meanwhile, citizens have turned to traditional coolants to seek respite from the scorching heat. Many thronged ice cream and milk shops on Ferozepur Road in search of khoya kulfis and cold milk.

In Lahore, the price of ice has also increased due to high demand. The price of an ice slab has doubled in the last few days from Rs220 to Rs400. Ice blocks are being sold at Rs1,400, up from Rs700 a few days ago.

Haj pilgrims warned

Pakistani Haj pilgrims have been advised to take precautionary measures following a severe heat warning issued by the Saudi National Centre for Meteorology, APP reported.

This year, Haj is expected to take place from June 14 to 19, coinciding with the peak of sweltering summer temperatures in the region, raising concerns about the well-being of millions of pilgrims gathering in Makkah from across the world.

In an interview with APP, Abdul Wahab Soomro, the chief of Pakistan’s Haj mission, said pilgrims should avoid exposure to sun, particularly during the five days from Zilhaj 8 to 12. The pilgrims have been advised to drink plenty of water and ORS and use umbrellas when out in the open.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024