Karachi, other Sindh cities set new weather records for April

• City breaks 41-year-old rain record with 38.7mm downpour in 24 hours
• Mercury drops to ‘lowest ever’ night-time temperature in April
• Met official warns of two more rain spells

KARACHI: Several cities in the province set new records for heavy rains and lowest night and daytime temperatures for the month of April, the Met Office said on Friday.

According to the Met department’s data, Karachi saw 38.7 millimetres of rain within 24 hours on Friday — the heaviest rain ever recorded in the month of April in the city.

Previously, the highest rainfall for April in a 24-hour period in Karachi was 37mm, which was recorded on April 2, 1985. In the rural parts of the province, light to moderate showers were observed with Dadu seeing 23mm rain in 24-hours, breaking its earlier record of 22mm set on April 14, 2017.

The cities which set records in the lowest daytime temperature were: Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Padidan, Sakrand, Shaheed Benazirabad and Tandojam.

Karachi, however, set a record in the lowest night-time temperature.

“The normal average temperature for April in Karachi is 21.8°C. However, last night the temperature remained 5.8°C below normal [average]; the minimum temperature recorded last night was 16°C,” said Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder Laghari.

He added that it was the lowest ever temperature recorded in the month of April in the city.

According to him, the western disturbance is continuing and two more spells are expected this month.

‘Abnormal’ weather situation

Describing the weather situation as “abnormal” in the month of April, clearly indicating the impact of climate change, the senior Met department official warned of the consequences that the change in seasonal weather pattern would have on crops.

“The winter monsoon period lasts for two months (Jan-Feb) in the country followed by a largely dry transitory period of spring that lasts till mid-April. This year, however, we have seen long unexpected spells in March and April,” Mr Laghari said.

“This drastic weather change is dangerous, especially for farmers cultivating wheat that’s being harvested these days and those growing mangoes, currently in a flowering phase,” he said.

Prolonged shifts in weather patterns, the official pointed out, would have grave negative effects on an agricultural country like Pakistan.

Nazimabad get 97.4mm highest rainfall for farmers cultivating wheat that’s being harvested these days and those growing mangoes, currently in a flowering phase,” he said.

Prolonged shifts in weather patterns, the official pointed out, would have grave negative effects on an agricultural country like Pakistan.

Nazimabad get 97.4mm highest rainfall

After Thursday’s intermittent showers, another heavy spell of rain lashed almost the entire city in the small hours of Friday morning.

The Met department’s data showed that Nazimabad (Paposh Nagar) saw the maximum 97.4mm rain over the past two days followed by Surjani Town 67mm, Keamari 66mm, Bahria Town 55.5mm, Orangi Town 53.6mm, PAF Faisal Base and Gulshan-i-Maymar 50mm each.

Other areas including Met Complex (University Road) received 47.6mm rain, North Karachi 43.8mm, Jinnah Terminal 43.6mm, PAF Masroor Base 40mm, old airport area 38.6mm, Korangi 34.7mm and Gulshan-i-Hadeed 30mm.

According to the Met department’s advisory, Karachi is likely to see mostly sunny days on Saturday and Sunday with maximum temperature ranging between 29°C and 32°C.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2026