Center for Strategic and Contemporary Research
Northern Hemisphere Feeling the Heat as Pakistan Hits Staggering 51 C
By Nathan Howes and Tyler Hamilton
With summer just around the corner, the Northern Hemisphere isn't waiting until June 21 for the heat to arrive.
On the other side of the globe, a blistering heat wave in Pakistan resulted in Jacobabad hitting 51°C on Saturday -- the hottest temperature on the planet so far this year, according to international meteorological experts. Australia’s average temperature has been recorded at 50.7°C. Other Pakistani cities came close to that number, though, with Shaheed Benazirabad and Nawabshah reaching 50.5°C while Moenjo Daro hit 50°C.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the temperatures were far above the average temperatures they typically see in May. In Jacobabad, for example, the average highest temperature in May is 43.8°C while the median for Shaheed Benazirabad and Mohenjodaro is 44.6°C and 44°C, respectively. Larkana's average for the month is 43.9°C and Dadu's is 44°C. With their averages sitting in the 40s, any daytime high that is 5-8°C above normal is adding insult to injury.
In addition to the 50-degree temperatures, Karachi recorded one of its hottest days in May in nearly a decade. According to PMD, the city reached 42.8°C on Saturday. The last time it was this hot in May occurred in 2018, when temperatures soared to 46°C.
It's not a one-time heat event, either. The past 60 days across the region have featured temperatures averaging 6°C above normal, making this spring particularly scorching.
Heat felt in Central Canada
Even Canada is getting in on the heat action, with Ontario and Quebec currently sizzling under a stretch of 30-degree days . An event that seems to be more unusual and anomalous for this part of the world at this time of the year, says Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
A strong ridge of high pressure over the eastern half of the country is responsible for the ongoing heat wave. According to MétéoMédia , there has been very few heat waves recorded in Quebec during the month of May.
In fact, Friday saw temperatures reach up to 34°C in Saguenay, Que. -- making it the hottest-ever daytime high recorded in Quebec in the first half of May or earlier.
Canada's first 30-degree reading in 2022 was recorded on Tuesday in Moosonee, Ont., where it hit 30.2°C. Kapuskasing, Ont., was a close second this year -- scoring a daytime high of 30.1°C on the same day. - The Weather Network
