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In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

theguardian.com

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Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#11

Post by signal11 »

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself.

I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threateningly so. In fact, the Telegraph article notes that those who can afford it spend the summer in Quetta or Karachi.

Of course this article also focuses on the cost of electricity and air conditioning, which is a major factor as well.

[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people...

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#12

Post by leto_ii »

3327 wrote: post #2

Stop complaining about the hot weather please and focus on more pressing global issues. Karachi has had 44 C before like many other places. In fact, mean temp of Karachi is 32 C in June - which is not Low at all. https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/pakistan/karachi/climate and 68% percentile high temp is 35 C. The highest temp on record for Karachi was nearly 48 C - in 1938. For sure 44 C is not Cool - but also not w…

> Stop complaining about the hot weather please and focus on more pressing global issues.

What would those more pressing issues be? Soon enough many very populated places in the world will be unlivable. Even now the reality described in the piece is shocking - 330 GBP for a month's worth of power is way more than what I pay in the Netherlands during the coldest winter months. I imagine the vast majority of Pakistanis will never be able to afford the amount of electricity needed to cool their houses down to a bearable temperature.

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#13

Post by cr1895 »

3327 wrote: post #2

Stop complaining about the hot weather please and focus on more pressing global issues. Karachi has had 44 C before like many other places. In fact, mean temp of Karachi is 32 C in June - which is not Low at all. https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/pakistan/karachi/climate and 68% percentile high temp is 35 C. The highest temp on record for Karachi was nearly 48 C - in 1938. For sure 44 C is not Cool - but also not w…

The issue isn't so much the absolute temperature as much as the combination of temperature and humidity. A wet-bulb temp of 35C can be fatal.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-human...

According to this site, there are numerous areas of Pakistan with a wet-bulb temp well north of 35C...that seems extremely dire, and should probably not be flippantly dismissed because other places are hotter.

https://meteologix.com/pk/observations/pakistan/wet-bulb-tem...

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#15

Post by lmilcin »

signal11 wrote: post #11

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself. I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threatening…

The issue with wet bulb temperature is even worse.

You don't need to have an average to hit anywhere close to it.

Just one single event, wave of temperature over 36 degrees is most likely going to kill millions of people if it hits densely populated area with people having no infrastructure to cool themselves. And no, spraying with water will not help, by very definition.

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#16

Post by Tuna-Fish »

signal11 wrote: post #11

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself. I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threatening…

> The UK Daily Telegraph had an article about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself.

Not quite. At 35C, the body can no longer maintain a normal body temperature, and simply standing outside in the shade will cause everyone to run a fever. However, a degree of fever is not dangerous in otherwise healthy individuals. So at 35C people can cool themselves, but only at an elevated temperature.

However, add a degree above that, and all the elderly and infirm will die. Add two degrees, and even healthy people start dropping like flies.

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#17

Post by cr1895 »

signal11 wrote: post #11

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself. I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threatening…

>I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet.

This site is showing quite a bit higher than 27C wet-bulb temp:

https://meteologix.com/pk/observations/pakistan/wet-bulb-tem...

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#18

Post by ant6n »

breitling wrote: post #3

Unfortunately, this seems to be the new norm. Even in Canada, we are breaking records for heat. Temperatures have reached 49 C / 120 F Despite that, I believe Canada will be a major recipient of these climate refugees when places just get too hot to live in. That'll also be an option reserved for the privileged.

I used to think that climate change won’t be so bad for the northern countries, as they are colder anyway, with perhaps some more extreme weather. Now it seems more and more that all countries will be affected. Even northern ones, with occasional crazy heat waves.

In BC, Canada the Heat record was broken by almost 5C.

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#19

Post by paulcole »

signal11 wrote: post #11

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself. I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threatening…

It was 116 in Portland last week. Even with low humidity, it was hell. No A/C in most homes. Never got below 80-something in my apartment for 3 days.

Hot is hot.

Re: In Karachi, hot weather is normal but 44°C feels like you’re going to die

#20

Post by signal11 »

cr1895 wrote: post #17
signal11 wrote: post #11

If I understand this right, this is not just the heat, but the humidity as well. The UK Daily Telegraph had an article[1] about how nearby Jacobabad crossed the 35C wet bulb reading threshold, at which point — according to the article — the body can no longer cool itself. I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. A cursory Google search showed a wet bulb reading of 27C for Karachi — still very hot but not life-threatening…

>I assume Karachi isn’t that bad yet. This site is showing quite a bit higher than 27C wet-bulb temp: https://meteologix.com/pk/observations/pakistan/wet-bulb-tem...

That’s the site I referred to as well, but I found it a bit hard to use, with the ads and all.

Am I reading the map right? Karachi to me shows 27. But scarily for other places there’s 39 and even 41 in there.

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