Cold weather likely to intensify from Jan 4 in Karachi

The cold wave that has gripped Karachi for days is likely to intensify from January 4 (Saturday), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Thursday.

The Met Office has said that though there might be a slight decrease in prevailing cold today and tomorrow (Friday), westerly winds entering the country may cause rain in Balochistan which may be followed by cold winds in Karachi.

Forecasting cold and dry weather in the metropolis, the PMD noted that the minimum temperature recorded in the city was 13.5 degrees Celsius with humidity levels at 58% coupled with a six kilometres per hour wind from the north.

The weather forecast comes as mercury already dropped to single digits multiple times last month with temperatures recorded at 9.1°C and 9.5°C in the metropolis.

The prevailing cold weather is also accompanied by poor air quality in the city which recorded the highest pollution levels on December 31, 2024 (Tuesday)

The city's Air Quality Index (AQI), as per Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, was recorded at 237 — a level classified as "very unhealthy" by the group.

Meanwhile, the concentration of toxic PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter small enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled — was measured at 162 µg/m³, which is 32.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.