Pakistan is bracing for life-threatening temperatures this week, with authorities urging residents to avoid outdoor activity as a brutal heatwave engulfs the country. 🌡️ Punjab province—home to over 127 million people—has shut schools for 18 million students, while hospitals scramble to set up emergency response centers.
🔥 Temperatures could hit 6°C above average this month, reaching over 40°C in many areas, warns Pakistan Meteorological Department official Zaheer Ahmed Babar. 'The sweltering heat will continue,' he said, predicting another wave in June that may push thermometers to 45°C.
💔 The crisis highlights Pakistan's vulnerability to climate disasters. Last month's record-breaking April rainfall—double the average—flooded towns and farmlands, echoing 2022's catastrophic floods that claimed 1,739 lives and caused $30B in losses. Scientists say global warming is turbocharging extreme weather here.
🚑 Doctors warn heatstroke can strike rapidly, causing unconsciousness or death. But for daily wage workers like construction laborer Mohammad Khursheed, staying home isn't an option: 'My family will starve if I don't work,' he told reporters under Islamabad's blazing sun.
⚡ Power outages compound the misery. 'We had no electricity for hours yesterday,' said Islamabad resident Ibrar Abbasi, as millions face blackouts amid surging demand.
📢 Officials urge hydration and reduced travel, but with June's heatwave looming, Pakistan's battle against climate extremes is just heating up. 🌍🔥
