Weather update: Will Karachi get winter rain?

Karachi Thursday woke up to a cloudy morning, giving rise to the anticipation of the first winter rain in the metropolis in the coming days. 

However, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) ruled out any chances of showers in Karachi for the next few days despite a thick mass of clouds over the coastal metropolis.

PMD Director Sardar Sarfaraz said that there is no chance of rain in the city for two weeks in January 2023. However, partly cloudy weather with light rain/drizzle is expected in the upper parts of Sindh today.

The Met official added that the sea breeze will blow during the day. During the next 24 hours, he said, dry and cold weather is expected in the metropolis.

According to the latest PMD advisory, a shallow trough of a westerly wave is affecting western parts of the country which gripped the country from Wednesday night.

“Rain-thunderstorm (snow over the mountains) is expected in the north and western Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan,” it said.

The PMD added that foggy conditions are likely to subside over the plain areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and upper Sindh.

Karachi's mercury falls to 10°C

Karachi recorded the lowest temperature of 10°C between December 22 and 23, as per the Met department, as the intensity of cold weather increased in the city.

According to the Met department, this was the lowest temperature recorded in the metropolis this season.

Meanwhile, the weather in most parts of the country, including the port city, was cold and dry.

Typically, the metropolis' weather features a tropical climate with warm winters and hot summers. The city’s humidity levels are commonly high from March to November. On the other hand, they are quite low in wintertime when the wind normally blows northeast.

As forecast by weather analyst Jawad Memon, the last days of December are cold with the mercury likely plunging below 10 degrees Celsius in January.