10 found dead as Karachi endures ‘hottest day in eight years’

• Mercury climbs to 44.1°C
• Met Office says temperature expected to drop from today
• Prolonged power outages, water shortages add to public distress
• Seven deceased persons remain unidentified

KARACHI: At least 10 people died across the city on Monday due to intense heat as the mercury surged to 44.1 degrees Celsius — the highest temperature recorded since 2018 — accompanied by gusts of continental winds that persisted throughout the day, officials said.

According to the Edhi Foundation and Chhipa Welfare Association, 10 people died in the metropolis because of “extreme heatwave”. They said most of the victims remained unidentified and appeared to be drug users, whose bodies were found in different areas.

The charities said they found bodies in Manghopir, Gulshan-i-Hadeed, Defence Phase-VIII, Boat Basin, Liaquatabad, Superhighway, Surjani Town, Mauripur Road, Baldia Town and North Karachi and their volunteers shifted them to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Civil Hospital Karachi and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

They said seven of the deceased persons could not be identified till late in the night.

However, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that “no bodies were received in the medico-legal sections of the three government hospitals for autopsy”.

An official statement said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed regret over the loss of lives in Karachi due to extreme weather conditions and other causes. He directed the city administration to identify the deceased and trace their heirs.

The chief minister urged the citizens not to come out from their homes ‘unnecessarily’ and adopt precautionary measures to avoid exposure to ongoing waves of extreme heat in the city.

Little relief from power utility

As the intermediate and O/A Level examinations are currently underway, students have found it difficult to sit their papers in such harsh weather.

Additionally, frequent power breakdowns — even at examination centres — have further worsened conditions.

Residents allege that K-Electric resorted to excessive loadshedding in the prevailing hot weather as the duration of outages in many areas crossed 16 hours.

On the other hand, despite the intense heat, there has been little relief from the water utility, as the city continued to face water shortages.

Highest temperature in eight years

Monday’s temperature, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), was the highest after May 31, 2018, when it had recorded 46°C.

Despite the record temperature in eight years, it was notable that the “feels-like” temperature did not exceed 40°C due to relatively low humidity.

A PMD official said the maximum temperature recorded in the city on Monday was 44.1°C with 17 per cent humidity (a measure of moisture in the air).

Based on current trends and data, he said, the temperature is expected to start declining from Tuesday (today) as dry winds subside, and will gradually drop further over the week.

“However, after the second week of the month, there are chances of temperatures rising again,” added the PMD official.

Anjum Nazeer Zaigham, the focal person of the PMD, said: “The recent rise in the temperature was not sudden, as it was already predicted due to the current westerly winds blowing in the city. We expected that the sea breeze would return after 3pm, but it took time, and it was after 5pm when we witnessed the sea breeze. So the stretch of hot spell prolonged due to this particular condition.”

A chart later issued by the Met Office showed that Monday’s temperature was also significant as it was 7.8°C above normal, with the 36.3°C average temperature recorded in previous Mays.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2026