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{{Short description|Heat wave in southern Pakistan}}
{{current}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox event
{{Infobox heat event
|title=2015 Pakistani heatwave
|title=2015 Pakistan heat wave
|image={{Location map many
|pushpin_map={{Location map many
|Pakistan
|Pakistan
|width = 350
|width = 350
|float =
|float = center
|caption =
|caption =
|alt =
|alt =
Line 12: Line 13:
|AlternativeMap =
|AlternativeMap =
|<!--first label/marker-->
|<!--first label/marker-->
|label1 = '''Karachi {{convert|45|C}}'''
|label1 = '''Karachi {{convert|45|C}}'''
|label1_size = <!-- or: label_size -->
|label1_size = <!-- or: label_size -->
|position1 = right<!-- or: position, pos1, pos -->
|position1 = right<!-- or: position, pos1, pos -->
|background1 = <!-- or: background, bg1, bg -->
|background1 = <!-- or: background, bg1, bg -->
|mark1 =
|mark1 =
|mark1size = <!-- or: marksize -->
|mark1size = <!-- or: marksize -->
|link1 = <!-- or: link -->
|link1 = <!-- or: link -->
|lat1_deg = 24
|lat1_deg = 24
|lat1_min = 51
|lat1_min = 51
|lat1_sec = 36
|lat1_sec = 36
|lat1_dir = N
|lat1_dir = N
|lon1_deg = 67
|lon1_deg = 67
|lon1_min = 0
|lon1_min = 0
|lon1_sec = 36
|lon1_sec = 36
|lon1_dir = E
|lon1_dir = E
|<!--second label/marker-->
|<!--second label/marker-->
|label2 = '''Turbat {{convert|49|C}}'''
|label2 = '''Turbat {{convert|49|C}}'''
|label2_size =
|label2_size =
|position2 = right
|position2 = right
|background2 = <!-- or: bg2 -->
|background2 = <!-- or: bg2 -->
|mark2 =
|mark2 =
|mark2size =
|mark2size =
|link2 =
|link2 =
|lat2_deg =26
|lat2_deg = 26
|lat2_min = 0
|lat2_min = 0
|lat2_sec = 15
|lat2_sec = 15
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|label4 = '''Rahim Yar Khan {{convert|43|C}}'''
|label4 = '''Rahim Yar Khan {{convert|43|C}}'''
|label4_size =
|label4_size =
|position4 = left
|position4 = right
|background4 = <!-- or: bg2 -->
|background4 = <!-- or: bg2 -->
|mark4 =
|mark4 =
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|lon9_deg =
|lon9_deg =
|lon9_min =
|lon9_min =
|lon9_sec =
|lon9_sec = 1
|lon9_dir =
|lon9_dir =
|
|
}}
}}
|caption= A map marking significantly affected cities
|pushpin_map_caption= A map marking significantly affected cities
|date=Since June 2015
|start_date=June 2015
|end_date=June 2015
|place=[[Pakistan]]
|areas=[[Pakistan]]
|casualties1={{as of|2015|6|22}}, there were more than 350 deaths<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geo.tv/article-188793-Death-toll-from-heatwave-rises-to-300-in-Karachi-|title=Death toll from heatwave rises to 350 in Karachi}}</ref><ref name=TOI>{{cite news|title=Heatwave in southern Pakistan kills 260|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Heatwave-in-southern-Pakistan-kills-260/articleshow/47771542.cms|date=22 June 2015|work=Times of India|accessdate=22 June 2015|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZTiGvyws|archivedate=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heatwave in southern Pakistan kills 260 people|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/world/heatwave-in-southern-pakistan-kills-260-people-1010140.html|date=June 22, 2015|work=IBN Live|accessdate=June 22, 2015|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZTpwWSOA|archivedate=June 22, 2015}}</ref>
|fatalities=About 2,000
}}
}}
A severe [[heat wave]] with temperatures as high as {{convert|49|C}} struck southern [[Pakistan]] in June 2015. It caused the deaths of about 2,000 people from [[dehydration]] and [[heat stroke]], mostly in [[Sindh]] province and its capital city, [[Karachi]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/heat-wave-death-toll-rises-to-2-000-in-pakistan-s-financial-hub |title=Heat Wave Death Toll Rises to 2,000 in Pakistan's Financial Hub |first1=Kamran |last1=Haider |first2=Khurrum |last2=Anis |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=24 June 2015 |accessdate=3 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="sindh1332">{{cite news |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1191234/heatstroke-leaves-another-26-dead-in-sindh |title=Heatstroke leaves another 26 dead in Sindh |first=Hasan |last=Mansoor |newspaper=Dawn |date=30 June 2015 |accessdate=9 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://arynews.tv/en/mercury-still-at-38-degrees-in-karachi |title=Heatwave death toll in Karachi reaches 1260 |publisher=ARY News |date=30 June 2015 |accessdate=19 August 2015 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226145347/https://arynews.tv/en/mercury-still-at-38-degrees-in-karachi/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The heat wave also claimed the lives of zoo animals<ref name="NYT"/> and countless agricultural livestock.<ref name="mort">{{cite news |url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/06/22/national/mortuaries-fill-up-as-heat-continues-to-take-scalps/ |title=Mortuaries fill up as heat continues to take scalps |newspaper=Pakistan Today |first=Aamir |last=Majeed |date=22 June 2015 |accessdate=3 August 2015}}</ref> The event followed a [[2015 Indian heat wave|separate heat wave in neighboring India]] that killed 2,500 people in May 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/11645731/India-heatwave-death-toll-passes-2500-as-victim-families-fight-for-compensation.html |title=India heatwave: death toll passes 2,500 as victim families fight for compensation |agency=Reuters |date=2 June 2015 |accessdate=26 June 2015}}</ref>

A '''heat wave''' severely struck [[Pakistan]] on [[June 2015]], mostly effecting the [[Sindh]], [[Southern Punjab|southern skirts]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], and [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33219890|title=Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 224 dead}}</ref> As of 22 June 2015, it has caused the deaths of at least 350 people, mostly in [[Karachi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geo.tv/article-188793-Death-toll-from-heatwave-rises-to-300-in-Karachi-|title=Death toll from heatwave rises to 350 in Karachi}}</ref><ref name=TOI/><ref name=times>{{cite news|title=A Heat Wave in Pakistan Has Killed Around 140 People|url=https://time.com/3929729/pakistan-heatwave-karachi-heat-stroke/|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Times|date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 120 dead|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33219890|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=BBC|date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heatwave devastates Karachi, other parts of Sindh; at least 136 dead|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1189590/heatwave-devastates-karachi-other-parts-of-sindh-at-least-136-dead|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Dawn|date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pakistan heat wave claims at least 140 lives in Karachi|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/21/asia/pakistan-heat-wave/|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=CNN|date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

The [[heat wave]] occurred during the Islamic month of [[Ramadan]]<ref name="economictimes" /> when the electricity grid crashed during the first day of Ramadan which left scores dead.<ref>{{cite news|title=Heat wave kills more than 120 in Pakistan's Karachi|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/22/uk-pakistan-heatwave-idUKKBN0P20DB20150622|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Reuters|date=22 June 2015}}</ref> The 2015 heat wave has had the highest recorded temperatures since 1979.

==Background==

The [[Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] (Pakistan EPA) noted the [[heat wave]] has been caused by [[Deforestation by region|deforestation]], expansion of [[asphalt]]-made [[Motorways of Pakistan|super highways]], and rapid [[Urbanization in Pakistan|urbanization]] due to their contributions on [[climate change]].<ref name="TET">{{cite news|title=Heat wave: Under scorching sun, Pakistan swelters|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/907232/heat-wave-under-scorching-sun-pakistan-swelters/|date=21 June 2015|work=The Express Tribune|accessdate=22 June 2015|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZTkUK6Ev|archivedate=22 June 2015}}</ref>

Testimonial accounts by former [[director-general]] of [[Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency|Pakistan EPA]], Asif Shuja, who maintained that: "There has been a rise in the [[Earth]]'s [[Earth's temperature record|average temperature]] from {{convert|15.5|C|F}} to {{convert|16.2|C|F}} over the last 100 years due to which we are experiencing such extreme weather conditions both in summers and winters."<ref name="TET"/> The [[Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency|Pakistan EPA]] maintained that the last 30 years&nbsp;– from 1993-2012&nbsp;– had been warmer than the last 1,400 years. Scientists envisage a rise of {{convert|1-6.67|C|F}}n temperature till 2[[100]] which will be disastrous".<ref name="TET"/>

Deforestation, growing number of road vehicles, and rapid urbanisation contributed to the climate change, Shuja said.<ref name="TET">{{cite news|title=Heat wave: Under scorching sun, Pakistan swelters|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/907232/heat-wave-under-scorching-sun-pakistan-swelters/|date=21 June 2015|work=The Express Tribune|accessdate=22 June 2015|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZTkUK6Ev|archivedate=22 June 2015}}</ref>

==Affected areas==
===Karachi===
In Karachi alone, 150 alone died and majority of those are elderly people and the homeless due to suffocation, dehydration and heat strokes. So far, 68 dead bodies were brought to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital and 35 bodies to the Civil hospital.<ref name=TOI/><ref name=economictimes>{{cite news|title=Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 141 dead|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/heatwave-in-pakistans-sindh-province-leaves-141-dead/articleshow/47762743.cms|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Economic Times|date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pakistan: Sindh heatwave claims 140 lives mostly in Karachi|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pakistan-sindh-heatwave-claims-140-lives-mostly-karachi-1507272|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=IB TImes|date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

===Thatta===
Five people died in [[Thatta]] in the interior Sindh.<ref name=TOI/>

===Tharparker===
A health official reported deaths of a man, an infant and two children adding that the desert district has been without electricity since 19 June.<ref name="TET"/>


==Recorded temperatures==
==Recorded temperatures==
High temperatures were recorded in Pakistan's southern areas. The temperature ranged from {{convert|49|C}} in Larkana and Sibi to {{convert|45|C}} in Karachi. In southern Punjab, {{convert|40|C}} was recorded in Multan whereas several areas of the Balochistan province were also affected where temperature touched {{convert|49|C}} in Sibi and Turbat.<ref name="TOI"/><ref name="TET"/><ref name="GEO">{{cite news|title=Temperature soars to 46, load shedding adds to woes|url=http://www.geo.tv/article-188612-Temperature-soars-to-46-load-shedding-adds-to-woes|date=20 June 2015|work=Geo TV|accessdate=22 June 2015|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZTnVsAHQ|archivedate=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="PT">{{cite news|title=Pakistan melts under scorching heat, hottest year recorded|url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/06/21/national/pakistan-melts-under-scorching-heat-hottest-year-recorded/|date=21 June 2015|work=Pakistan Today|accessdate=22 June 2015}}</ref>
Extreme temperatures started to grip Pakistan's southern areas on 18 June 2015, and peaked on 20 June:<ref name="TET"/><ref name="GEO">{{cite news |title=Temperature soars to 46, load shedding adds to woes |url=http://www.geo.tv/article-188612-Temperature-soars-to-46-load-shedding-adds-to-woes |date=20 June 2015 |work=Geo TV |accessdate=22 June 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623002237/http://www.geo.tv/article-188612-Temperature-soars-to-46-load-shedding-adds-to-woes |archivedate=23 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Date !! Place !! Temperature
!Date !! Place !! Temperature
|-
|-
| 19 June 2015 || [[Karachi]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|45}}"|{{convert|45|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Karachi]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|45}}"|{{convert|45|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Larkana]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Larkana]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Turbat]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Turbat]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Sibi]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Sibi]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|49}}"|{{convert|49|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Rahim Yar Khan]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|43}}"|{{convert|43|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Rahim Yar Khan]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|43}}"|{{convert|43|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Dadu]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|44}}"|{{convert|44|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Dadu District|Dadu]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|44}}"|{{convert|44|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Multan]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|40}}"|{{convert|40|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Multan]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|40}}"|{{convert|40|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Nawabshah]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|41}}"|{{convert|41|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Nawabshah]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|41}}"|{{convert|41|C|F}}
|-
|-
| 20 June 2015 || [[Hyderabad]] || style="{{Weather box/colt/sandbox|42}}"|{{convert|42|C|F}}
| 20 June 2015 || [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]] || style="{{Weather box/colt|42}}"|{{convert|42|C|F}}
|}
|}


Karachi recorded its highest temperatures since 1979.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33236067 |title=Pakistan heatwave: Death toll crosses 800 people in Sindh |work=BBC News |date=26 June 2015 |accessdate=9 August 2015}}</ref> By 24 June 2015, the temperature and death toll began to abate; the maximum temperature in Karachi was {{convert|98|F|C|order=flip}}, and officials reported 58 deaths compared to 300 the previous day.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/world/asia/pakistan-heat-wave-death-toll-rises.html |newspaper=The New York Times |title=Temperature and Daily Death Toll Fall as Heat Wave Appears to Abate in Pakistan |first1=Saba |last1=Imtiaz |first2=Zia |last2=ur-Rehman |date=25 June 2015 |accessdate=3 August 2015}}</ref>
==Relief efforts==

Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]] warned electric supply companies that he would not tolerate power outages during Ramadan. [[Karachi University]] postponed its exams for at least one month due to the intense heatwave.<ref>{{cite news|title=Heatwave kills 90 in Karachi as residents grapple with power outages|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/907576/heatwave-kills-45-in-karachi-as-residents-brave-power-outages/|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Express Tribune|date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heatwave kills more than 120 in Pakistan|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/pakistan/11690501/Heatwave-kills-more-than-120-in-Pakistan.html|accessdate=22 June 2015|publisher=Telegraph|date=22 June 2015}}</ref> Sindh Chief Minister [[Syed Qaim Ali Shah]] announced that emergency has been declared in all the government hospitals of Karachi and other cities in Sindh.<ref name="economictimes" />
==Contributory factors==
[[File:Edhi Morgue.jpg|thumb|[[Edhi Foundation]] morgue in Karachi during the heat wave.]]
Asif Shuja, the former director general of the [[Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency]], claimed the heat wave was a symptom of [[global climate change]], [[Urban heat island|aggravated]] by [[Deforestation by region|deforestation]], expansion of [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]] [[Motorways of Pakistan|superhighways]], and rapid [[Urbanization in Pakistan|urbanisation]]. He maintained that "there has been a rise in [[Earth's temperature record|the Earth's average temperature]] from {{convert|15.5|C|F}} to {{convert|16.2|C|F}} over the last 100 years, due to which we are experiencing such extreme weather conditions both in summers and winters." Shuja went on to say that the lack of sophisticated weather prediction technology in Pakistan contributed to the casualties of the heat wave.<ref name="TET">{{cite news|title=Heat wave: Under scorching sun, Pakistan swelters |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/907232/heat-wave-under-scorching-sun-pakistan-swelters/ |date=21 June 2015 |work=The Express Tribune |accessdate=22 June 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622203729/http://tribune.com.pk/story/907232/heat-wave-under-scorching-sun-pakistan-swelters/ |archivedate=22 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Moreover, widespread failures of the [[electrical grid]] left many locations without working air-conditioners, fans, or water pumps, adding further to the death toll.<ref name="NYT"/> Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]] tasked a committee comprising [[Abdul Qadir Baloch]], a retired General of the [[Pakistan Army]] and Minister for States and Frontier Regions, together with State Minister for Health Sciences Regulation and Coordination [[Saira Afzal Tarar]]. The two Ministers visited Karachi's [[Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre]] in the wake of deaths due to the severe heat wave. Speaking to the media during their visit, Baloch said that the K-Electric was being investigated for [[Demand response#Load shedding|load shedding]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-189268-Qadir-Baloch,-Saira-Afzal-visit-Karachi-to-meet-heat-stroke-victims- |title= Qadir Baloch, Saira Afzal visit Karachi to meet heat stroke victims |newspaper=The News International |date= 26 June 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref> Baloch held the [[K-Electric]], [[Karachi Water and Sewerage Board|KW&SB]] and [[Government of Sindh|Sindh government]] responsible for the increase in heat wave mortality in Karachi.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/06/26/city/karachi/pml-n-ministers-lash-out-at-sindh-govt-k-electric-during-karachi-visit/ |title=PML-N ministers lash out at Sindh govt, K-Electric during Karachi visit |newspaper=Pakistan Today |date= 26 June 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref> The power regulator [[NEPRA]] reported that K-Electric was not generating electricity according to its generation capacity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/29-Jun-2015/k-electric-responsible-for-load-shedding-in-karachi |title= K-Electric responsible for load shedding in Karachi |work=Samaa TV |date=29 June 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref>

The heat wave coincided with the month of [[Ramadan]], when [[Muslim]]s observe fasting and no drinking from dawn till dark. This increased the risks of dehydration and heat stroke.<ref name="no ramadan">{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/pakistan-heatwave-ramadan-fatwa-allows-muslims-break-fast-during-day-death-toll-rises-637032 |title= Pakistan Heatwave: Ramadan Fatwa Allows Muslims to Break Fast During the Day as Death Toll Rises |last=Variyar |first=Mugdha |work=[[International Business Times]] |date=25 June 2015 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref>

==Emergency measures==
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared a state of emergency, activated military relief efforts,<ref name="BBC"/> and warned electric supply companies that he would not tolerate power outages during Ramadan. The Sindh government declared an emergency for all government hospitals in the province, and the [[University of Karachi]] postponed its exams for at least one month.<ref name="emerg">{{cite news |title=Heatwave kills more than 120 in Pakistan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/pakistan/11690501/Heatwave-kills-more-than-120-in-Pakistan.html |agency=AFP |date=22 June 2015 |accessdate=22 June 2015}}</ref> An influential Muslim cleric in Pakistan decreed a [[fatwa]] that if "a religious and qualified doctor" advises (for safety of life), Muslims are allowed to skip or break their Ramadan daytime fast, and then to complete those days of fasting when Ramadan and the emergency have passed.<ref name="no ramadan"/> At the peak of the June 2015 heat wave, the number of corpses exceeded local capacities for storage or burial, as the emergency efforts proved insufficient to prevent enormous loss of life.<ref name="mort"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/27-Jun-2015/after-more-than-1-100-deaths-people-raise-their-hands-in-prayer-for-rain |title=After more than 1,100 deaths, people raise their hands in prayer for rain |newspaper=Daily Times Pakistan |date=27 June 2015 |accessdate=28 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701001715/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/27-Jun-2015/after-more-than-1-100-deaths-people-raise-their-hands-in-prayer-for-rain |archivedate=1 July 2015 }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[2015 Indian heat wave]]
*[[2017 Pakistan heat wave]]
*[[List of extreme weather records in Pakistan]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist }}
{{List of heat waves|state=autocollapse}}
{{Portal bar|Pakistan}}
{{Portal bar|Weather}}
{{Portal bar|Pakistan||Weather}}


⚫
[[Category:2015 heat waves]]
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[[Category:Heat waves in Pakistan]]
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[[Category:2015 in Pakistan]]
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[[Category:2015 meteorology]]
[[Category:2015 disasters in Pakistan]]
[[Category:2015 disasters in Pakistan]]
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[[Category:2010s heat waves]]
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[[Category:2015 meteorology]]
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[[Category:2015 natural disasters]]
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[[Category:Heat waves in Pakistan]]
[[Category:History of Karachi (1947–present)]]

Latest revision as of 00:41, 4 July 2023

2015 Pakistan heat wave
2015 Pakistan heat wave is located in Pakistan
Karachi 45 °C (113 °F)
Karachi 45 °C (113 °F)
Turbat 49 °C (120 °F)
Turbat 49 °C (120 °F)
Larkana 49 °C (120 °F)
Larkana 49 °C (120 °F)
Rahim Yar Khan 43 °C (109 °F)
Rahim Yar Khan 43 °C (109 °F)
Multan 40 °C (104 °F)
Multan 40 °C (104 °F)
A map marking significantly affected cities
AreasPakistan
Start dateJune 2015
End dateJune 2015
Losses
DeathsAbout 2,000

A severe heat wave with temperatures as high as 49 °C (120 °F) struck southern Pakistan in June 2015. It caused the deaths of about 2,000 people from dehydration and heat stroke, mostly in Sindh province and its capital city, Karachi.[1][2][3] The heat wave also claimed the lives of zoo animals[4] and countless agricultural livestock.[5] The event followed a separate heat wave in neighboring India that killed 2,500 people in May 2015.[6]

Recorded temperatures

[edit]

Extreme temperatures started to grip Pakistan's southern areas on 18 June 2015, and peaked on 20 June:[7][8]

Date Place Temperature
20 June 2015 Karachi 45 °C (113 °F)
20 June 2015 Larkana 49 °C (120 °F)
20 June 2015 Turbat 49 °C (120 °F)
20 June 2015 Sibi 49 °C (120 °F)
20 June 2015 Rahim Yar Khan 43 °C (109 °F)
20 June 2015 Dadu 44 °C (111 °F)
20 June 2015 Multan 40 °C (104 °F)
20 June 2015 Nawabshah 41 °C (106 °F)
20 June 2015 Hyderabad 42 °C (108 °F)

Karachi recorded its highest temperatures since 1979.[9] By 24 June 2015, the temperature and death toll began to abate; the maximum temperature in Karachi was 37 °C (98 °F), and officials reported 58 deaths compared to 300 the previous day.[4]

Contributory factors

[edit]
Edhi Foundation morgue in Karachi during the heat wave.

Asif Shuja, the former director general of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, claimed the heat wave was a symptom of global climate change, aggravated by deforestation, expansion of asphalt superhighways, and rapid urbanisation. He maintained that "there has been a rise in the Earth's average temperature from 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) to 16.2 °C (61.2 °F) over the last 100 years, due to which we are experiencing such extreme weather conditions both in summers and winters." Shuja went on to say that the lack of sophisticated weather prediction technology in Pakistan contributed to the casualties of the heat wave.[7]

Moreover, widespread failures of the electrical grid left many locations without working air-conditioners, fans, or water pumps, adding further to the death toll.[4] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tasked a committee comprising Abdul Qadir Baloch, a retired General of the Pakistan Army and Minister for States and Frontier Regions, together with State Minister for Health Sciences Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar. The two Ministers visited Karachi's Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in the wake of deaths due to the severe heat wave. Speaking to the media during their visit, Baloch said that the K-Electric was being investigated for load shedding.[10] Baloch held the K-Electric, KW&SB and Sindh government responsible for the increase in heat wave mortality in Karachi.[11] The power regulator NEPRA reported that K-Electric was not generating electricity according to its generation capacity.[12]

The heat wave coincided with the month of Ramadan, when Muslims observe fasting and no drinking from dawn till dark. This increased the risks of dehydration and heat stroke.[13]

Emergency measures

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared a state of emergency, activated military relief efforts,[9] and warned electric supply companies that he would not tolerate power outages during Ramadan. The Sindh government declared an emergency for all government hospitals in the province, and the University of Karachi postponed its exams for at least one month.[14] An influential Muslim cleric in Pakistan decreed a fatwa that if "a religious and qualified doctor" advises (for safety of life), Muslims are allowed to skip or break their Ramadan daytime fast, and then to complete those days of fasting when Ramadan and the emergency have passed.[13] At the peak of the June 2015 heat wave, the number of corpses exceeded local capacities for storage or burial, as the emergency efforts proved insufficient to prevent enormous loss of life.[5][15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Haider, Kamran; Anis, Khurrum (24 June 2015). "Heat Wave Death Toll Rises to 2,000 in Pakistan's Financial Hub". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  2. ^ Mansoor, Hasan (30 June 2015). "Heatstroke leaves another 26 dead in Sindh". Dawn. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Heatwave death toll in Karachi reaches 1260". ARY News. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Imtiaz, Saba; ur-Rehman, Zia (25 June 2015). "Temperature and Daily Death Toll Fall as Heat Wave Appears to Abate in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b Majeed, Aamir (22 June 2015). "Mortuaries fill up as heat continues to take scalps". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  6. ^ "India heatwave: death toll passes 2,500 as victim families fight for compensation". Reuters. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Heat wave: Under scorching sun, Pakistan swelters". The Express Tribune. 21 June 2015. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Temperature soars to 46, load shedding adds to woes". Geo TV. 20 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Pakistan heatwave: Death toll crosses 800 people in Sindh". BBC News. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Qadir Baloch, Saira Afzal visit Karachi to meet heat stroke victims". The News International. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  11. ^ "PML-N ministers lash out at Sindh govt, K-Electric during Karachi visit". Pakistan Today. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  12. ^ "K-Electric responsible for load shedding in Karachi". Samaa TV. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  13. ^ a b Variyar, Mugdha (25 June 2015). "Pakistan Heatwave: Ramadan Fatwa Allows Muslims to Break Fast During the Day as Death Toll Rises". International Business Times. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Heatwave kills more than 120 in Pakistan". AFP. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  15. ^ "After more than 1,100 deaths, people raise their hands in prayer for rain". Daily Times Pakistan. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
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