Millions bake as Karachi heatwave smashes seasonal norms for weeks

A punishing, prolonged heatwave across Pakistan and India has pushed temperatures far above seasonal averages throughout April and May, stretching emergency services and killing an undisclosed number of people.

Karachi and surrounding regions have recorded temperatures well above seasonal norms for weeks running.
The heatwave has affected millions of people across Pakistan and India simultaneously.
Authorities and residents describe the extreme heat as no longer a rare event but a recurring reality.
Emergency services have been stretched by heat-related illness across both countries.
No official combined death toll has been confirmed as of the Guardian's 17 May report.

A relentless heatwave has gripped Karachi and large stretches of Pakistan and India for weeks, pushing temperatures far beyond seasonal norms and forcing millions to endure conditions that officials and residents say have become routine rather than rare.

Temperatures across the region surged well above average throughout April and May, the Guardian reported Saturday, with Karachi residents describing the sustained heat as a new baseline rather than an exceptional event.

Emergency services have been overwhelmed by heat-related illness. Water shortages compounded the crisis in urban centers already strained by aging infrastructure.

The phrase that keeps surfacing in street-level accounts, the Guardian noted, is blunt: “It’s no longer exceptional.”

Pakistan and India together account for roughly one-fifth of the world’s population. Both governments have issued advisories urging residents to limit outdoor exposure during peak afternoon hours, but enforcement and relief resources vary sharply between wealthier districts and low-income neighborhoods.

Meteorologists are expected to issue updated regional forecasts this week as the heat pattern shows no clear sign of breaking before late May.