The weather change challenge

It was a terrible night. I mean the night of March 19 that a sudden storm hit Karachi. Since many years I and I think many Karachiites have waited for such a storm and at times it missed Karachi by just a hair’s breadth. The closest it came when such a cyclonic storm made a landfall in the eastern direction of Karachi. This cyclonic storm in 1985 which was moving towards Karachi actually had weakened over the sea while still a 100 kilometers away south of Karachi. Many other cyclones headed for Karachi had the same fate and there was folklore that Karachi is protected by saints and will never be hit by any cyclonic storm. We just got a taste of how things will be if a real storm hits this metropolitan city that night of March 19. Overall it was a normal evening, and everyone did not really pay any importance to the weatherman who had predicted thunderstorms accompanied with hail stones. When the storm did strike it was a trailer of how things would be if a real cyclone hits us and also how ill prepared we are for such an eventuality. The main damaging factor in any storm is the intensity of winds and this one was really packing a punch. After the storm was over which only lasted for an hour and in some areas even less than that its intensity could be gauged by the fact that in this short spell of just one hour it had taken the lives of 17 people and all over the city more than a hundred trees had submitted to its rage by falling down on cars and blocking many roads. The arrival of such a storm in the middle of March is not only surprising but also alarming, and points towards change in weather patterns, which also call for civic authorities to gear up their operations. The storm only lasted for an hour but it was a testing one hour in which lightning was constant and thunderclaps deafening. The people of Karachi are not used to such storms with the result that hundreds of motorcycle drivers took refuge under the various underpasses not realising that God forbid if lightning falls on that underpass the results could be disastrous. The storm came and passed away but its remnants remain and the weather in Karachi has changed surprisingly with frequent rains in different parts of the city and a cool breeze blowing. This is very unlike Karachi and reflects the challenges it will have to face in the coming months and years and for which we should all be prepared. There is a big drive going on to face lift the city with roads being paved and gardens renovated but it is also necessary to prepare this city for the challenges it will face as a result of changing weather, a trailer of which we all saw recently in Karachi. Karachi is not the only city in Pakistan affected by climate change but overall, the country is in grip of such a change, which also poses grave dangers for the country. According to available figures, Pakistan’s projected temperature increase is expected to be higher than the global average; also, projected temperature increase in northern parts is expected to be higher than the southern parts of the country. The frequency of hot days and hot nights is expected to increase significantly with resultant consequences. The government of Pakistan is aware of the hazards of climate change and its officials, including the Prime Minister himself, have time and again informed the world community of Pakistan paying the price of the indulgence of others. Unfortunately, world powers are involved in other issues and some of them even refuse to acknowledge climate change as a serious problem. For the time being it seems we are on our own and have to devise our own methods to tackle this problem. As far as Karachi is concerned it has to learn to live with these sudden changes. While the city is undergoing a beautification campaign it must also keep in mind the dangers that linger due to weather change and be prepared for all eventualities. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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